FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Afghanistan: Drugs

Bob Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment his Department has made of progress in reducing opium production in Afghanistan; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: In its opium survey for 2010, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) reported stable levels of opium cultivation across the country, with the number of poppy-free provinces remaining at 20. Opium cultivation in Helmand fell by 7%. This follows two successive years of reductions in opium cultivation and a dramatic fall in the wheat price. Current indicators suggest that opium poppy cultivation will remain broadly stable again in 2011, despite continuing low wheat prices. The UNODC intends to release its next assessment in February/March.

Burma: Ethnic Groups

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representation he has received on the compatibility with the Rome Statute on forced population transfer of the proposed relocation of ethnic Kachin people in advance of the construction of the Myitsone dam, Kachin state, Burma.

Jeremy Browne: The Government have not received any such representations. However, we remain deeply concerned about the human rights and environmental impact of the construction of the Myitsone dam. We understand that construction of the dam will forcibly displace around 15,000 people. In addition, reports suggest the construction of the dam is causing flooding and water shortages, threatening the livelihoods of thousands of people. Our embassy in Rangoon is working with local groups to raise awareness of the situation and staff are scheduled to travel to the affected area shortly.

Burma: Ethnic Groups

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received on attacks against the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army in Myawaddy, Karen state, Burma.

Jeremy Browne: Fighting between troops and ethnic Karen rebels close to the Thai-Burma border has continued since November 2010 and resulted in thousands of Burmese refugees fleeing into Thailand. Regime attempts to force ethnic ceasefire groups to join a national Border Guard Force in addition to restrictive and deeply flawed elections in November, have further heightened tensions.
	Our chargé d'affaires in Bangkok raised this issue with the Thai Foreign Minister on 19 January 2011 and with the Army commander and governor of the affected area of Thailand during a visit to Mae La refugee camp, in Mae Sot, on 17 January.

Burma: EU Action

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had at EU level on the future of targeted EU sanctions on Burma.

Jeremy Browne: EU Foreign Ministers last discussed Burma at the November 2010 Foreign Affairs Council, attended by the Minister for Europe, my right hon. Friend the Member for Aylesbury (Mr Lidington). There was agreement on the need for caution in response to recent events, including flawed elections and the release of Aung San Suu Kyi. Longstanding EU policy is that sanctions will only be eased in response to progress on the ground. Official level discussions on the annual renewal of the EU Council Decision on Burma have since begun in Brussels.

Burma: Foreign Investment

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate he has made of the inward investment in Burma made via British Overseas Territories in each of the last three years.

Jeremy Browne: The UK Government does not hold information on the amount or destination of outward foreign direct investment via the British Overseas Territories.
	Ensuring that the Overseas Territories comply with relevant UK international obligations is a priority for the Government. This includes giving effect to international sanctions, including the EU's targeted restrictive measures against the Burmese regime. We have seen no evidence to date to suggest that there is direct investment in Burma via the Overseas Territories that is contrary to existing sanctions.

Diplomatic Service

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information his Department holds on the  (a) ethnic minority background,  (b) gender and  (c) socio-economic background of (i) the HM ambassadors and (ii) other members of the Diplomatic Service.

Alistair Burt: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) collects information about its staff in a number of different ways, which means that the level of detail available about the groups of staff mentioned in the question varies. The following response applies to all FCO staff, including Heads of Mission:
	 (a) ethnic minority background: No central records are kept recording the ethnic background of staff. Information about ethnicity can be recorded by staff themselves on the FCO's management information system, and in the annual staff survey. But since disclosure is optional in both cases, the available information is incomplete, and therefore not representative.
	 (b) gender: Information on the gender of the FCO's c.5,000 UK-based staff is recorded centrally. The gender breakdown among these staff is approximately 60% male and 40% female.
	 (c) socio-economic background: We do not collect information on the socio-economic background of staff.
	The FCO aims to recruit a talented and diverse workforce that reflects the society we serve and our recruitment policies are designed to encourage applications from the widest possible range of backgrounds. All external recruitment into the FCO is based on merit, and all campaigns must be fair and open.

EU Delegations

Bob Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his most recent estimate is of the number of UK Civil Servants who will be involved in running the EU delegations worldwide in 2011.

David Lidington: The UK currently has eight civil servants on secondment to EU delegations worldwide. In addition there are seven British heads of EU delegations, but they are permanent Commission officials, not British civil servants. The EU External Action Service (EAS) recruitment process is in the early stages. The majority of delegation heads are former European Commission and Council Secretariat staff.
	There are a number of British staff in the senior management of the EAS including Cathy Ashton herself, James Morrison, her Chef de Cabinet, Robert Cooper, Political Counsellor, and Nick Westcott, Managing Director Africa.
	Currently a number of UK civil servants are applying for positions in EU delegations, including as heads of delegation and deputy heads. Our long-term aim is for British representation in all EU institutions to be appropriate to the size of the UK's population.

Gaza

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his Israeli counterpart on border crossing restrictions between Israel and the Gaza Strip.

Alistair Burt: I visited Israel and the Occupied Territories between 16 and 20 January 2011. I met General Dangot, co-ordinator of the Israeli Government Activities in the Occupied Territories, and discussed the situation in Gaza in detail. I raised concerns over access for goods, including reconstruction materials, and also stressed the importance of increasing exports into Gaza.

Gulf States: Employment

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has had discussions with his counterparts in Gulf States on employment law and the position of trade unions in those countries.

Alistair Burt: The Foreign Secretary has had no discussions with his counterparts in the Gulf states on these issues.

Iran: Sanctions

Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of UN sanctions in deterring Iran's nuclear programme; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: International sanctions, including those adopted by the UN and the EU, show the strength of international concerns about Iran's nuclear programme. We continue to monitor the progress of that programme closely. It is clear that sanctions are having an impact. Iran is finding it increasingly difficult to acquire access to goods of proliferation concern and is also finding it hard to access international finance. We believe these and other pressures brought Iran back into talks with the EU 3+3. But, its disappointing failure to engage on the substance of international concerns in Istanbul and its continuing defiance of Security Council Resolutions; of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the international community more broadly mean that pressure will need to increase.

Israel: Business Initiatives

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department is taking to encourage joint business initiatives between Israelis and Palestinians.

Alistair Burt: The UK provides financial support and technical advice to Palestinian businesses in both the west bank and Gaza to compete in new markets, develop new products and re-launch operations.
	During my visit in mid-Jan 2011 to Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories, I raised with interlocutors the issue of exports from Gaza not only to an international market but also to Israel and the west bank. I emphasised the importance of making this happen. Prime Minister Fayyad responded that he had received some positive signals from the Israelis on exports and increased capacity at the crossings.

Kashmir

Denis MacShane: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to India on respect for human rights in Kashmir.

Alistair Burt: Officials in our high commissions in Islamabad and New Delhi regularly discuss the situation in Kashmir, including human rights, with the Indian and Pakistani Governments and with our contacts in Indian and Pakistan-administered Kashmir. The UK continues to call for an improvement in the human rights situation on both sides of the Line of Control and for an end to external support for violence in Kashmir. To this end the UK funds human rights, conflict prevention and peace building efforts on both sides of the Line of Control, including efforts to help build confidence and create a constituency for peace.

Kashmir

Denis MacShane: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received of Indian actions in Kashmir; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: We have been following closely the initiative of the Indian Government to appoint three interlocutors to take forward a dialogue between Delhi and Srinagar to help resolve the situation in Indian-administered Kashmir. Prime Minister Singh issued a statement last summer that violations of human rights abuses by security forces in Kashmir would not be tolerated. Officials in our high commissions in Islamabad and New Delhi regularly discuss the situation in Kashmir with the Indian and Pakistani Governments and with our contacts in Indian and Pakistani-administered Kashmir. It is not for the UK to prescribe a solution in Kashmir but we continue to encourage a lasting resolution which takes into account the wishes of the Kashmiri people. This includes calling for an end to all external support for violence in Kashmir and an improvement in the human rights on both sides of the Line of Control.

Kurds: Languages

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has made representations to the Turkish government on  (a) the use of the Kurdish language for teaching in schools and  (b) the recent trials of Kurdish community leaders.

David Lidington: The Government have not made specific representations to the Government of Turkey on these issues. Our embassy in Ankara regularly raises the treatment of Kurds in Turkey with the Turkish Government as part of its wider discussions on human rights and encourages them to make progress on respect for minority groups, including the protection of language.
	Our embassy in Ankara is monitoring the trials of Kurdish community leaders closely, and we expect high judicial standards to be observed throughout.

Middle East: Peace Negotiations

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his counterparts in the Arab League on the peace process.

Alistair Burt: I spoke with the Secretary-General of the Arab League, Amr Moussa on 26 January 2011. I raised my concerns over the current impasse and we discussed opportunities for making progress on the peace process. I was also in Jordan on 20 January 2011 and met with Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh and we discussed how to best secure a return to talks.

Palestine: Peace Negotiations

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions his Department has had with the Palestinian Authority on the resumption of peace negotiations.

Alistair Burt: I visited Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs) between 16 and 20 January 2011. During my visit to the OPTs, I held meetings with President Abbas and Prime Minister Fayyad. We discussed a number of issues, including steps to resume peace talks. I made clear the UK position that negotiations were the best way of achieving the goal of a sovereign and viable Palestinian state alongside a secure Israel.

Salman Taseer

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received on the death of Salman Taseer; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: The assassination of Governor Taseer in Islamabad on 4 January 2011 was shocking. The Foreign Secretary made a statement condemning the action, and reinforced the UK's commitment to working with Pakistan to support democratic stability and religious tolerance. The Foreign Secretary has also written to President Zardari to express his condolences. Following the assassination I have spoken to the Pakistan Minister for Minorities, Shahbaz Bhatti, to express the UK's support for a democratic Pakistan, and of the importance of ensuring that the rights and freedoms of all Pakistanis are upheld.

Senior Civil Servants

Gregg McClymont: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what  (a) contractual and  (b) non-contractual payments were made to each Senior Civil Servant who has left his Department since May 2010.

Alistair Burt: Under the data protection principles in the Data Protection Act 1998 (DPA), it is not possible to disclose the names or positions of each individual staff member as it would breach the fair processing principle. The individual to whom the personal data relate has a reasonable expectation that the Department would hold that information in confidence.
	However I can inform the hon. Member that since May 2010 the following number of senior civil servants have left the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO):
	three staff resigned and there were no payments made;
	one officer transferred to another Government Department, no payment was made;
	six officers took normal age retirement and had immediate access to the pension benefits they had accrued during their service;
	one officer departed at the end of their fixed-term contract, due to their role becoming redundant, with a payment calculated in accordance with the formula used for flexible early severance payments under the Civil Service Compensation Scheme (CSCS);
	two officers left at the end of their fixed term contracts, no payments were made;
	three staff left the office after a loan period to the FCO from another Government Department, no payments were made;
	12 staff took voluntary early departure, all payments to these officers were calculated and paid in strict accordance with the prevailing rules of the CSCS. The total Resource cost to the FCO of these exits was £2.8 million.
	Resource costs are the total costs to the FCO as employer and include the annual compensation payment (for early retirees) until their 60th birthday and other capitalised costs at departure. These capitalised costs are:
	(i) the total chargeable part of the lump sum;
	(ii) the enhanced pension cost adjustment; and
	(iii) the accrued lump sum cost adjustment.

Shaker Aamer

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent steps he has taken with the US administration to reach an agreed timetable for Shaker Aamer to be brought to trial or returned to the UK.

Alistair Burt: On 6 July 2010 the Prime Minister confirmed to Parliament that we will continue to request the release and return to the UK of Shaker Aamer. We have reiterated this request to the US Government on numerous occasions. Most recently the Foreign Secretary raised Mr Aamer's case with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on 17 November 2010, and following this the Deputy Prime Minister raised Mr Aamer's case when he met Secretary Clinton at the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe Summit in Kazakhstan, on 1 December 2010. Senior Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials are continuing discussions with their US counterparts on this issue.
	The outcome of these discussions remains uncertain. Any decision regarding Mr Aamer's release remains in the hands of the United States Government.

Sri Lanka: Prisoners

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of reports of deaths among Tamil prisoners detained in Anuradhapura prison, Sri Lanka; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: We were concerned to hear about the recent prison riots, which led to the death of one Sinhalese prisoner and the injury of other prisoners. There is no suggestion that the riots were ethnically driven. We understand that the Sri Lankan authorities are looking into the causes of the riots. Our high commission has discussed the need to expedite the hearing of cases and overcrowded prison conditions with the Sri Lankan Government.

Treaty of Nice

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what advice the then Minister for Europe received on the legal effect of Declaration 6 of the Treaty of Nice prior to the Treaty's signature on 26 February 2001; and if he will make a statement.

David Lidington: As has been the case with successive Administrations, policy and legal advice from officials is not normally disclosed.

Western Wall in Jerusalem

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received on the publication of a research paper by the Palestinian Authority on the origins of the Western Wall in Jerusalem; whether he has had discussions with the Palestinian Authority on this issue; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: Our consulate general in Jerusalem is aware of the report. There have been no discussions with the Palestinian Authority and there are no plans to issue a statement.
	The publication was removed from the Ministry of Information's website.
	We call for both the Palestinians and Israelis to refrain from provocative actions that may prejudice the outcome of a final settlement.
	The Government's position is clear. Our goal is a secure and universally recognised Israel living alongside a sovereign and viable Palestinian state, based on the borders of 1967, with Jerusalem the future capital of both states, and a fair settlement for refugees.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

Departmental Regulation

Gordon Banks: To ask the Attorney-General 
	(1)  what regulations the Law Officers' Departments have introduced since 6 May 2010;
	(2)  what regulations the Law Officers' Departments have removed since 6 May 2010.

Dominic Grieve: The Law Officers' Departments have not introduced or removed any regulations since 6 May 2010.

HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION

Departmental Procurement

Jon Trickett: To ask the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, representing the House of Commons Commission, what single tender contracts the House of Commons Service has awarded since May 2010; and what the monetary value is of each contract above the EU public procurement threshold.

John Thurso: The House's central contract database contains information on six single tender contracts awarded since May 2010, namely:
	Additional access control
	Supply, delivery and installation of security screening equipment
	Anti-fragmentation film in 14 Tothill street
	Modifications to the House of Commons Chamber sound equipment and supply of specialist radio microphones
	Supply of curtaining fabric
	Replacement of broken glass roof domes, Moncrieff's Restaurant
	None of these contracts was above the EU public procurement threshold for supplies and services which currently stands at approximately £101,000.
	Single tender contracts under £25,000 within individual House Departments are not recorded on the central contract database, and it is not known how many of these there have been.

SCOTLAND

Aptuit

Graeme Morrice: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will meet  (a) management and  (b) employees of Aptuit to discuss that company's proposal to close its sites at Livingston and Riccarton.

David Mundell: The Scotland Office carefully considers all requests for meetings.

Barnett Formula

Graeme Morrice: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on any possible review of the Barnett formula; and if he will make a statement.

David Mundell: The Secretary of State for Scotland and I have regular discussions with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on a range of issues. The UK Government recognise that concerns have been expressed about the current system of devolution funding whereby changes to the block grant are calculated by the Barnett formula, but the UK Government's priority is to reduce the deficit and they do not have any plans to change arrangements before the stabilisation of the public finances.

Departmental Carbon Emissions

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent steps his Department has taken to reduce its carbon emissions to meet the target of reducing central Government carbon emissions by 10 per cent. by June 2011.

David Mundell: The Scotland Office has introduced more intensive monitoring of its carbon emissions and has engaged in a staff awareness raising campaign. When undertaking repairs and maintenance the Office considers the opportunity to take any additional cost-effective actions that will reduce carbon emissions.

Departmental Libraries

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many  (a) certified and  (b) chartered librarians his Department has employed in each year since 2000.

David Mundell: No librarians have been employed by the Scotland Office since 2000.

Higher Education: Finance

Graeme Morrice: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills on the Barnett consequentials of the Government's planned changes in spending on higher education.

David Mundell: The Secretary of State and I are in regular contact with ministerial colleagues in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills on matters important to Scotland. The Scottish Government's budget is calculated using the Barnett formula which allocates population based shares of changes to spending on devolved matters, such as higher education. The Scottish budget announced at the spending review therefore included the population based share of the higher education resource budget reductions. It is for the Scottish Government to determine how they allocate their overall budget according to their policy

NORTHERN IRELAND

Departmental Carbon Emissions

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent steps his Department has taken to reduce its carbon emissions to meet the target of reducing central Government carbon emissions by 10 per cent. by June 2011.

Owen Paterson: The Northern Ireland Office monitors its carbon emissions on a regular basis and the figures are published on a yearly basis.
	Steps my Department has taken include reducing the need for travel between London and Belfast by increasing the use of video conferencing facilities, replacing the routine use of an executive jet by budget and commercial airlines for ministerial and official flights, introducing a bio-mass heating system and new solar panels and improving insulation at Hillsborough Castle, introducing recycling, and ceasing use of bottled water across our estate.
	Officials are working closely with the Efficiency and Reform Group to ensure the Department meets its target by June 2011.

WALES

Departmental Carbon Emissions

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent steps her Department has taken to reduce its carbon emissions to meet the target of reducing central Government carbon emissions by 10 per cent. by June 2011.

David Jones: I refer the hon. Lady to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Stafford (Jeremy Lefroy) on 18 October 2010,  Official Report, column 436W.

Departmental Libraries

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many  (a) certified and  (b) chartered librarians her Department has employed in each year since 2000.

David Jones: None.

CHURCH COMMISSIONERS

Church of England: Employment

Frank Field: To ask the hon. Member for Banbury, representing the Church Commissioners, what the policy of the Church Commissioners is on the payment by Church of England parishes of a living wage to their employees.

Tony Baldry: Clergy are not employees but office holders and they therefore receive a stipend rather than a wage. However, the national average incumbent's stipend plus the estimated value of a provided house (totalling about £32,210 in 2010) is comparable to the average national wage.
	The Church is keen for stipends to be adequate to enable clergy to perform their ministries without undue financial anxiety, flexible enough to aid clergy deployment and consistent enough to avoid impeding their mobility. Average earnings growth estimates are taken into consideration when setting stipends levels. From 31 January 2011 the national minimum stipend, below which no full-time clergy should be paid, will become compulsory under the terms of service legislation which comes into effect on that day. From April this will be £21,370 although in practice the stipends of most clergy already exceed this amount.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Broadband

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport when he expects tender documents to be issued in respect of the four high-speed broadband pilot areas identified to date.

Edward Vaizey: Broadband Delivery UK is working closely with the local procuring authorities on the timetable for commencing the pilot procurements. No dates are fixed at this time, but will be made public at the earliest opportunity.

Departmental Carbon Emissions

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what recent steps his Department has taken to reduce its carbon emissions to meet the target of reducing central Government carbon emissions by 10 per cent. by June 2011.

John Penrose: The Department has taken the following steps to ensure that the target of reducing carbon emissions by 10% will be met:
	Reduced running times of air conditioning units
	Improved management of lighting
	Improved sequencing of the boiler and chiller
	Reduced cooling in the data centre
	Reduced the number of physical IT servers in the data centre.

Digital Economy Act 2010

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport when he expects Ofcom to publish the initial obligations code under the Digital Economy Act 2010.

Jeremy Hunt: No specific publication date has been confirmed as yet, but I expect Ofcom to publish this draft code in early 2011.

English Tourist Board

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how much funding VisitEngland has allocated to promoting each English region in each of the last three years for which figures are available.

John Penrose: This information is not held in the manner requested by either this Department or VisitEngland.
	VisitEngland's expenditure benefits all English regions, but is not subject to specific allocations. The regional development agencies (RDA) have had strategic responsibility for tourism in the regions since 2003, including regional tourism investment. The following table sets out the funding that each RDA has allocated to support tourism over the last three years. These figures are based on estimates provided by the RDAs to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
	
		
			  £ million 
			  RDA  2007-08  2008-09  2009-10( 1) 
			 AWM 3.3 1.0 1.0 
			 EEDA 1.8 1.0 1.0 
			 EMDA 4.7 4.0 2.0 
			 LDA 29.4 20.0 21.0 
			 NWDA 8.9 14.0 13.0 
			 ONE 10.6 7.0 6.0 
			 SEEDA 2.2 2.0 2.0 
			 SWRDA 2.6 3.0 2.0 
			 YF 6.0 8.0 8.0 
			 Total 69.5 60.0 56.0 
			 (1) Figures for 2009-10 are provisional-awaiting final confirmation from BIS.

Internet

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what steps he is taking to ensure that the internet market grows in a way that encourages free and fair access to the internet for  (a) business and  (b) personnel use.

Edward Vaizey: The Government are absolutely committed to ensuring that the internet remains the powerful innovative, competitive and open force for good that it has become since its inception. The internet has brought huge economic and social benefits across the world, and that must continue.
	The internet has developed at an unbelievable pace and in directions which have proved almost impossible to predict. It does not seem wise to introduce legislation to dictate how the internet may or may not evolve. It has done exceedingly well without our intervention up until now, so until it develops in a way which somehow hurts consumer interests or competition or impedes innovation, it is best if we allow the market to continue to self-regulate.
	Ofcom will closely monitor how the market develops and if it develops in an anti competitive way, they have the appropriate powers to intervene.

Licensing

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what timetable he has set for his consultation on changes to Schedule 1 of the Licensing Act 2003; and if he will publish a timetable for consultation on changes to the Licensing Act 2003.

John Penrose: The Government are currently considering options to remove red tape from live music and other entertainment. I hope to be able to announce our conclusions, including the timetable for reform, shortly.

Public Libraries

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport whether he plans to take steps to prevent the sale of valuable historical reference books by local authority libraries.

Edward Vaizey: Local authorities have the freedom to determine the manner in which the 'comprehensive and efficient' library service they are required to provide under the Public Libraries and Museums Act 1964 is managed and delivered. This includes decisions about stock retention and disposal.

Public Libraries: Voluntary Work

Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what recent discussions he has had with local authorities on the use of volunteers to replace librarians.

Edward Vaizey: This week I was given an update on the Future Libraries Programme (FLP) which included presentations from three of the authorities that are participating. A number of FLP pilot projects are exploring new models for library delivery-including greater involvement of volunteers. I also hosted a roundtable on the theme of 'libraries and the big society'. A number of local and national government officials and civil sector partners attended the event which explored how libraries can help to achieve the big society vision.

Tourism

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what plans he has to visit the North East to meet representatives of businesses and business associations from the tourism industry.

John Penrose: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Blaydon (Mr Anderson) on 17 January 2011,  Official Report, column 468W.

Tourism: One NorthEast

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what assessment he has made of the potential effects of the closure of One NorthEast on the tourism industry in the North East.

John Penrose: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has not made an assessment of the impact on tourism from the closure of the regional development agencies, but of course we recognise that One NorthEast has supported the visitor economy in the North East in the past.
	DCMS is currently working closely with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Department for Communities and Local Government to ensure that the interests of tourism are addressed during the transition from the RDAs to the new Local Enterprise Partnerships and Destination Management Organisation framework.

Tourism: One NorthEast

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport which bodies will be responsible for promoting tourism in the North East following the closure of One NorthEast.

John Penrose: Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) and Destination Management Organisations (DMOs), with strong private sector leadership, will become the cornerstone of successful tourism promotion. Many DMOs already exist in the North East, and two LEPs have recently been announced as well. These are Tees Valley and one covering County Durham, Tyne and Wear and Northumberland which was approved in January.
	In addition, VisitEngland will focus on investment in and support for destination management organisations and the local businesses involved in tourism, and have established a transition team to assist in the move to the new Local Enterprise Partnerships.

Tourism: One NorthEast

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how much funding One NorthEast allocated to supporting tourism in the North East in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

John Penrose: The funding that One NorthEast allocated to support tourism over the last five years is set out in the following table.
	These figures are based on estimates provided by the regional development agencies to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
	
		
			  £ million 
			  RDA  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09  2009-10( 1) 
			 One NorthEast 7.1 10.8 10.6 7.0 6.0 
			 (1) Figures for 2009-10 are provisional-awaiting final confirmation from BIS.

DEFENCE

Trauma Care

Nick de Bois: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent assessment he has made of the standard of trauma care provided to members of the armed forces; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Bridgen: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent assessment he has made of the level of trauma care provided to serving and former members of the armed forces; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Robathan: Assessments in 2009 and 2010 by the National Audit Office, the Public Accounts Committee and the Healthcare Commission have all agreed that the standard of trauma care provided for injured personnel on operations is extremely high. To give just one example, the NAO in its February 2010 report on "Treating Illness and Injury Arising on Military Operations" stated that
	"Clinical treatment and rehabilitation of service personnel seriously injured on military operations are highly effective".
	In order to ensure our armed forces benefit from cutting edge research into trauma care, we have very recently established, with the Department of Health and other partner organisations, a new Surgical Reconstruction and Microbiology Research centre at the new Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham.

Iran: Nuclear Weapons

Andrea Leadsom: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of Iran's potential nuclear weapons capability; and if he will make a statement.

Liam Fox: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave today to the hon. Member for Watford (Richard Harrington).

Defence Industrial Capacity

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has for future UK defence industrial capacity; and if he will make a statement.

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has for future UK defence industrial capacity; and if he will make a statement.

Peter Luff: The Government are currently undertaking a formal consultation on "Equipment, Support and Technology for UK Defence and Security" following publication of a Green Paper in December last year. The consultation continues until the end of March, and we will be publishing a White Paper later in the year.

Armed Forces Personnel: Remuneration

Penny Mordaunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent representations he has received on the pay of armed forces personnel engaged in the location and disposal of improvised explosive devices; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Robathan: Could I first pay tribute to this very special group of people, some of whom have given their lives in this vital work to save others. There have been no representations received on the pay of armed forces personnel engaged in the location and disposal of improvised explosive devices.

Postal Ballots

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has had with the Deputy Prime Minister on steps to ensure that postal ballots for members of the armed forces deployed abroad and their dependants can be issued and returned in time for each election and for the referendum scheduled to take place in 2011.

Andrew Robathan: The Ministry of Defence, including the British Forces Post Office, are working with the Cabinet Office, the Electoral Commission and Royal Mail to make suitable provisions for service personnel in Afghanistan. As happened for last year's general election, this will include fast tracking the delivery and return of postal voting forms. Personnel will still have the option of voting by proxy. For other overseas locations, BFPO will as before aim to identify and fast track ballot papers where they can.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many times each TriStar that has operated in the Afghan theatre has been repaired since January 2010.

Peter Luff: For TriStar, the engineering unserviceability database does not give the aircraft location or the task planned/undertaken by the aircraft. It would incur disproportionate cost to compare the flight departure logs which give this information against the engineering unserviceability database. I am able to confirm, however, that in 2010 there were 99 instances where short term TriStar unserviceability caused a delay to an Operation Herrick task departing RAF Brize Norton at the start of an Airbridge flight. In many cases, engineers were able to quickly rectify the unserviceability, or to minimise the overall delay another airframe was substituted to undertake the task.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Denis MacShane: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will investigate the circumstances in which the then Chief of the General Staff informed HM Ambassador to Afghanistan in 2007 of the reasons for the redeployment of troops from Iraq to Afghanistan.

Liam Fox: No.

Armed Forces: Health Services

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions his Department has had with armed forces charities as part of the development of the health for heroes scheme.

Andrew Robathan: "Health for heroes" is an informal tag that has recently been applied by the press to the medical care provided for the armed forces and ex-service personnel, with a particular emphasis on mental health care. To enhance the range of high-quality mental health services already provided for both current personnel and veterans, the Ministry of Defence and the Department of Health are currently working closely together to implement the recommendations of the report 'Fighting Fit' by my hon. Friend the Member for South West Wiltshire (Dr Murrison). In doing so, we have had valuable discussions with a range of armed forces charities, including Combat Stress and the Royal British Legion, to help ensure that the services being introduced are targeted in the most useful and appropriate way.

Armed Forces: Health Services

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has had with the Deputy Prime Minister on the proposed health for heroes scheme.

Andrew Robathan: holding answer 27 January 2011
	The Deputy Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Sheffield, Hallam (Mr Clegg) was referring to the wide range of current and planned initiatives across Government to support serving and former members of the armed forces, such as the 'Fighting Fit' review by my hon. Friend the Member for South West Wiltshire (Dr Murrison) and our enhancements to health care services as part of the Strategic Defence and Security Review. The term "Health for heroes" has recently been applied by the press to the medical care provided for the armed forces and ex-service personnel, with a particular emphasis on mental health care.

Armed Forces: Mental Health

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what recent progress he has made on implementing the recommendation of the report by the hon. Member for South West Wiltshire that a member of the armed forces whose requirement for a specialist opinion is identified at the time of discharge should be able to obtain it and any follow-on treatment on a military department of community mental health for the next six months; by what date he expects to have implemented that recommendation; and what funding is being made available by his Department for such implementation in each financial year to 2014-15;
	(2)  what recent progress he has made in implementing the recommendation of the report by the hon. Member for South West Wiltshire that a mental health systems enquiry is built into routine service examinations, discharge medicals and the medical examinations conducted prior to invalidity discharge from the service on the grounds of physical or mental incapacity; by what date he expects to have implemented that recommendation; and what funding is being made available by his Department for such implementation in each financial year to 2014-15.

Andrew Robathan: The recommendations of the report 'Fighting Fit' by my hon. Friend the Member for South West Wiltshire (Dr Murrison) have been accepted by the Government in full and will result in many improvements to mental health services to both current personnel and veterans. We are now working with the Department of Health to implement these recommendations to provide better and wider mental health support.
	In April 2011, we will start a three-month trial of the processes for introducing enhanced mental health surveillance during routine medicals. Once this has been completed, we will evaluate the outcome and consider any possible improvements. The requirements will be introduced into discharge protocols, including those for seriously-injured personnel. Arrangements to ensure follow-on treatment, including enabling access to military Departments of Community Mental Health for up to six months following discharge, should be in place and operational by late summer 2011.
	Work on assessing any future costs and resource requirements for implementing the recommendations is currently under way and will be assessed as part of the Ministry of Defence's planning process, but it is not possible to give any financial data at this time.

Armed Forces: Mental Health

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent progress he has made on implementing the recommendation of the report by the hon. Member for South West Wiltshire that his Department should encourage research to develop a post-traumatic stress disorder screening tool; by what date he expects to have implemented that recommendation; and what funding is being made available by his Department for such implementation in each financial year to 2014-15.

Andrew Robathan: The King's Centre for Military Health Research has secured funding of £1.6 million for research aimed at identifying a possible screening tool for mental health problems in members of the UK armed forces. The research is expected to take around three years to carry out, including 12 months preparation time followed by 24 months data gathering and analysis.

Armed Forces: Pensions

Ian Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the effect on armed forces pensions of proposed changes to indexation arrangements for public sector pensions.

Andrew Robathan: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East (Gregg McClymont).

Armed Forces: Vehicles

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many  (a) logistics and  (b) engineering vehicles of each type were (i) in service and (ii) available for operations on the latest date for which figures are available.

Peter Luff: I am withholding the information on the number of vehicles available on operations for operational security reasons.
	The Department holds a huge variety of logistics and engineering vehicles. For ease these have been grouped by role and category. The overall number of vehicles in service within each category is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Role  Total number in service 
			  Engineering  
			 Armoured Engineering 66 
			 Bridging 177 
			 Bulldozer 50 
			 Dumper Truck 190 
			 Excavator 422 
			 Forklift 21 
			 Route Engineer Plant 84 
			 Beach T/WAY Dispenser 2 
			   
			  Logistics  
			 Bulk Fuel 1,189 
			 Cargo 12,446 
			 Container Handler 23 
			 Crane 92 
			 Equipment Transporter 732 
			 Forklift 649 
			 Medical 915 
			 Recovery 466 
			 Bulk Water 57 
			 Airfield Support 631 
			 Fire Vehicles 162

Armoured Fighting Vehicles

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many variants of each vehicle in the Future Rapid Effect System family he plans to purchase; and what estimate he has made of the cost of each variant type.

Peter Luff: Decisions on platform numbers, including numbers and variants of the specialist vehicle and utility vehicle programmes, will be made at their respective main investment decision points. The Ministry of Defence does not publish the costs of the programmes before these points. To do otherwise would prejudice commercial interests.

Defence Equipment

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many equipment failure reports were filed in each year since 2003; and how many such reports were filed for each armoured vehicle type in  (a) 2009 and  (b) 2010.

Peter Luff: The Equipment Failure Report is unique to the Army and is the primary means by which users record the failure of any item of equipment fitted to land vehicles. As reported by users, the number of equipment failure reports filed in each year since 2003 are shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Vehicle type  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007  2008  2009  2010  Total 
			 AS90 408 238 185 103 56 136 130 98 1354 
			 Challenger 2 2,467 1,737 1,629 1,369 1,148 1,523 1,477 1,162 12,512 
			 CRARRV 141 324 263 207 144 129 130 109 1447 
			 CVR(T) 445 252 194 372 304 662 485 461 3175 
			 Fuchs 14 7 16 9 2 0 0 0 48 
			 FV430 (Bulldog) n/a n/a n/a n/a 165 464 148 144 921 
			 FV430 (Mk2) 447 480 363 325 289 186 255 155 2,500 
			 Saxon 45 66 21 10 4 2 0 0 148 
			 Titan n/a n/a n/a 183 418 346 166 397 1,510 
			 Trojan n/a n/a n/a 131 677 521 640 392 2,361 
			 Warrior 590 668 576 899 603 719 494 486 5,035 
			 Mastiff n/a n/a n/a n/a 163 336 295 310 1,168 
			 Panther n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 124 598 282 1,004 
			 Ridgback n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 71 122 193 
			 Snatch (all variants) 50 225 461 441 120 21 20 53 1,391 
			 Vector n/a n/a n/a n/a 56 155 52 4 267 
			 Viking n/a 72 59 44 128 46 14 71 434 
			 Wolfhound n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 3 41 44 
			 Husky n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 91 292 383 
			 Total 4,607 4,069 3,767 4,093 4,341 5,370 5,069 4,579 - 
		
	
	The data includes accidental damage, maintenance related failures and breakdowns, or the failure of an item fitted to the vehicle. The equipment failure reporting system does not reflect the results of subsequent investigations or the severity of a failure. Given this, the data does not differentiate between what might later prove to have been a problem caused by operator error or damage sustained as a result of operations, or whether the failure had any impact on operational capability or safety.

Defence Vetting Agency

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 21 January 2011,  Official Report, column 21W, on the Defence Vetting Agency: Foreign and Commonwealth Office; when he plans to make an announcement on the future provision of vetting services for his Department and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Andrew Robathan: It is the intention to resolve this issue as soon as practicable, but I am not in a position to give a time scale for completion of the work.

Defence: Procurement

Stephen Barclay: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library a copy of the project history for the Typhoon project; and if he will assess the compliance of this project with his Department's guidance in Maintaining a Project History version 4.0, August 2007.

Peter Luff: holding answer 27 January 2011
	A copy of the project history maintained in respect of the Typhoon project will be placed in the Library of the House following a review to identify whether any information needs to be withheld. The Ministry of Defence document 'Maintaining a Project History v4.0' dated August 2007, provides guidance relating to project histories. The Typhoon project history records entries as recommended by that document.

Defence: Procurement

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what options for improving procurement processes his Department identified from the Shrivenham Acquisition Workshop.

Peter Luff: The 5(th) Shrivenham Acquisition Workshop, which I attended, brought together senior decision makers from Government and Industry in November last year.
	The following themes were addressed through workshops: Attacking acquisition costs in non-equipment areas; Achieving long term value across industry sectors; Affordable and sustainable operational capability; Maximising returns on Research and Technology investment across defence and security; and Exports and sovereignty. Each of these workshops made a number of detailed recommendations for proposed actions. The principal options for improving procurement processes fall within the themes of long-term value, sustainable capability, and exportability.
	These recommendations are being taken forward by the National Defence Industries Council, a joint forum between the MOD and industry and I will be following that work carefully.

Departmental Carbon Emissions

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent steps his Department has taken to reduce its carbon emissions to meet the target of reducing central Government carbon emissions by 10 per cent. by June 2011.

Andrew Robathan: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is committed to the aspiration that this should be the greenest Government ever, and is on track to meet the 10% reduction commitment on the civil office estate by May 2011.
	The technical and behavioural changes being undertaken to meet the 10% reduction include: boiler optimisation; adjusting heating times to reflect building occupancy; min/max temp mandates; weekend and holiday shutdowns; IT and electrical equipment reductions and rationalisation; staff engagement and behavioural campaigns.

Departmental Communication

Alok Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what measures he has undertaken to reduce jargon and promote plain English in Departmental communications.

Andrew Robathan: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is committed to using plain English in day-to-day business, and is a corporate life member of the Plain English Campaign. This commitment is reflected in the Defence Writing Guide (Joint Service Publication 101), which sets out the good practice that should be followed when producing written material throughout the MOD and the three services. The latest version was published in June 2010. As well as the Joint Service Publication, there are also three e-learning courses available for staff to undertake.

Departmental Consultants

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much has been spent on consultancy by his Department since May 2010.

Andrew Robathan: The total spend for consultants for the period 1 May to 30 November 2010 for the Ministry of Defence (including its agencies and trading funds) is £15.75 million.

Departmental Procurement

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what single tender contracts his Department has awarded since his appointment; and what the monetary value is of each contract above the EU public procurement threshold.

Peter Luff: Over the period from 12 May 2010-31 December 2010, a total of 1,401 Ministry of Defence contracts started which exceeded the EU public procurement threshold of £40,000, to a total contract value of up to £3.8 billion. Of these, 804 had been let non-competitively, with a total value of up to £0.9 billion. Figures are not yet available for January 2011.

Departmental Temporary Employment

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many staff are employed on fixed-term contracts in his Department; and what their job titles are.

Andrew Robathan: The number of staff on fixed term contracts in the Ministry of Defence as at 27 January 2011, broken down by job family and job code are as follows:
	
		
			  Job family  Job code  Total 
			 Business Management and Improvement Business Management 18 
			  Consultancy - 
			
			 Commercial Commercial Operations - 
			  Commercial Policy - 
			
			 Communications and Media Media and Press - 
			  Design and Imagery - 
			  Strategic Communications - 
			
			 Corporate Support Administrative Support 50 
			  Community Service 8 
			  Secretariat and Private Office - 
			  Secretarial - 
			  Direct Military Support - 
			  Community Development Work - 
			  Statistics - 
			  Statistical Analysis - 
			  Occupational Psychology - 
			
			 Defence Intelligence Intelligence Analysis - 
			  Mapping and Charting - 
			
			 Defence Policy and Commitments Defence Policy and Commitments - 
			
			 Engineering and Science Government Quality Assurance - 
			  Technical (Trades) 24 
			  Civilian Apprentices 161 
			  Science and Technology Management - 
			  Science and Technology Policy - 
			  Operational Analysis 6 
			  Acoustics - 
			  Chemical/Biological Science and Technology - 
			
			 Estates Estate Advice - 
			  Estate Management - 
			  Soft Facilities Management 105 
			  Site Estate - 
			  Estate Planning - 
			  Range Management - 
			
			 Finance Decision Support - 
			  Transaction Processing - 
			
			
			 Health Professionals General Practice 10 
			  Care Home Support - 
			  Physiotherapy 7 
			  Nursing and Midwifery 6 
			  Hospital Doctor/Consultant - 
			  Medical Technical - 
			  Occupational Therapy - 
			  Clinical Psychology - 
			  Pharmacy - 
			  Dietetics - 
			
			 Human Resources Civilian HR Expert - 
			  Civilian HR Service Provider 19 
			  HR Leader - 
			  Service HR Expert - 
			
			 Information Information Service Provision - 
			  Information Strategy and Planning - 
			
			 Legal Legal 8 
			
			 Logistics Storekeeping/Warehouse Operations 28 
			  Driving 41 
			  Supply Chain Management and Policy - 
			  Transport/Movement - 
			  Logistics - 
			
			 Programme and Project Management Project Management 9 
			  Senior Ownership - 
			  Programme Management - 
			
			 Security, Health and Safety Safety, Health, Environment and Fire - 
			  General Policing (MDP) - 
			  Customs and Immigration 7 
			  MGS Unarmed Guarding 11 
			  Sovereign Base Area Policing - 
			  Case Assessment 8 
			
			 Training and Education Teaching 257 
			  Teaching Leadership - 
			  Training Support 15 
			  Specialist Instruction 15 
			  Teaching Support - 
			
			 Not Recorded Not Recorded - 
			
			 Total  906 
			 '-' = Denotes a number lower than 5  Source: PPPA 
		
	
	In all instances fixed term appointments are used to reflect the finite nature of the requirement and include casual appointments as well as longer fixed terms.
	Details of special adviser appointments, including names and salaries, are published on the Cabinet Office website at:
	www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/resource-library/special-adviser-data-releases
	Recruitment to the civil service is regulated by the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010. The Act established the Civil Service Commission with the role of regulating recruitment to the civil service, principally through their recruitment principles. All recruitment to the Department has been in accordance with these recruitment principles. The recruitment principles are available at:
	www.civilservicecommission.org.uk
	There has been a freeze on external recruitment to the MOD since May 2010, other than for business critical posts, such as those in direct support of operations, apprenticeships, fast stream and specialist graduates and posts paid for in full by other parties (for example United States visiting forces and NATO support facilities).

Ex-servicemen: Radiation Exposure

Thomas Docherty: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he has taken to ascertain the health needs of British nationals resident overseas who participated in nuclear weapons tests held by the UK Government in the 1950s.

Andrew Robathan: Meeting the needs of the health service requirements of UK nationals who reside overseas lies with the country in which they reside. However, where a former member of the armed forces is in receipt of a war pension the Ministry of Defence may meet the cost of treatment in some cases, provided that the treatment is clinically necessary for a disablement due to service and is not available through the health system in the country of residence.

Ex-servicemen: Radiation Exposure

Thomas Docherty: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if his Department will arrange tests to be carried out on surviving nuclear test veterans to establish whether any increased level of radiation in their bodies is attributable to participation in such tests.

Graeme Morrice: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if his Department will offer all surviving veterans exposed to radiation during the nuclear weapons tests held by the UK Government in the 1950s a medical examination to assess any effects on their health resulting from this exposure.

Andrew Robathan: I refer the hon. Members to the answer I gave on 18 January 2011,  Official Report, column 747W, to the hon. Member for East Lothian (Fiona O'Donnell).

Members: Correspondence

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he plans to reply to the letter from the right hon. Member for Warley of 25 November 2010, sent on behalf of Mr Chester.

Andrew Robathan: I replied to the right hon. Member's letter on 25 January 2011.

Nimrod Aircraft

Stephen Barclay: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost of the Nimrod MRA4 project has been in each  (a) year and  (b) phase since its inception.

Peter Luff: holding answer 27 January 2011
	The cost of the Nimrod MRA4 project in each year and phase is contained in the following table:
	
		
			  £ million 
			  Financial year  Assessment phase  Demonstration and manufacturing phase  Support phase  Total 
			 Pre 1996-97(1) 5 - - 5 
			 1996-97 - 72 - 72 
			 1997-98 - 78 - 78 
			 1998-99(2) - 451 - 451 
			 1999-2000 - 192 - 192 
			 2000-01 - 307 - 307 
			 2001-02(3) - 58 - 58 
			 2002-03 - 251 - 251 
			 2003-04 - 438 6 444 
			 2004-05 - 409 5 414 
			 2005-06 - 141 163 304 
			 2006-07 - 346 34 380 
			 2007-08 - 264 44 308 
			 2008-09 - 190 88 278 
			 2009-10 - 166 144 310 
			 2010-11(4) - 59 28 87 
			 Total 5 3,422 512 3,939 
			 (1) Total cost of the assessment phase as at 31 March 1996. Earlier data is no longer available. (2) Accruals accounting introduced to MOD accounts. (3) The variance between 2001-02 and 2002-03 in part reflects an accruals adjustment. (4) As at 31 December 2010.

Reserve Forces

Karen Lumley: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what post-tour support services are available to reserve forces personnel on their return from military operations.

Andrew Robathan: The Ministry of Defence ensures that a full range of support is provided for reserve forces personnel following deployment. Members of the reserve forces and their families receive the same type of support and welfare packages that are provided for Regular personnel following overseas deployment. This support may include access to defence medical services, facilities and health care, and a range of welfare and financial assistance.
	In addition, primary and secondary legislation provides legal protection and safeguards for both reservists and employers.

Type 22 Frigates

Bob Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has for the remaining Type 22 frigates following their decommissioning.

Peter Luff: The four Type 22 frigates (HM Ships Chatham, Campbeltown, Cumberland, and Cornwall) will progressively leave service by the end of April 2011. It is too early to say what the disposal plans will be but in accordance with the Ministry of Defence's policy for disposing of such surplus defence equipment, we are first looking at the feasibility of selling to other governments for continued military use. Should this not prove viable, we would then explore other options.

Type 26 Frigates

Bob Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the unit cost target for the Type 26 frigate is.

Peter Luff: I refer the right hon. Member to the answer I gave on 27 October 2010,  Official Report, column 377W, to the hon. Member for Glasgow South West (Mr Davidson).

ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Biofuels: Food Supply

Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether the sustainability criteria for biomass take into account areas of food production displaced by biomass cultivation.

Gregory Barker: The sustainability criteria take account of direct land use change such as the use of previously uncultivated land to grow energy crops.
	Indirect changes affecting food production are also possible, for example, where using food grade crops for energy can result in demand for new cropland elsewhere. The European Commission is due to advise in July on addressing indirect land use change for biofuels, and we will consider the application of this advice to bio-energy feedstocks more generally.

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: Compensation

Chris Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change 
	(1)  how many chronic obstructive pulmonary disease compensation claims have been reviewed in full by Capita on behalf of his Department following the discovery of an undervaluation of less than  (a) £200,  (b) £100 and  (c) £50 having been made in an offer to a claimant;
	(2)  how many chronic obstructive pulmonary disease compensation claims have been reviewed in full by Capita on behalf of his Department following the discovery of new evidence relevant to the claim;
	(3)  how many chronic obstructive pulmonary disease compensation claims have been reviewed in full by Capita on behalf of his Department after making an offer to a claimant but before receiving a formal acceptance or rejection of the offer;
	(4)  if he will estimate the average cost to the public purse of reviewing a chronic obstructive pulmonary disease compensation claim in full.

Charles Hendry: The framework of the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease claims handling agreements allowed for reviews of a claim to take place at a number of stages prior to acceptance of the offer subject to certain deadlines and claims could be reviewed for many different reasons. However, no statistics were maintained of the type and number of such reviews undertaken. As a result it is not possible to estimate the cost of such reviews.

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: Compensation

Chris Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the  (a) lowest,  (b) highest and  (c) average award under the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease compensation claim scheme.

Charles Hendry: The following table shows the lowest, highest and average compensation awarded to former miners and their families under the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease scheme for claims settled by payment, denied and withdrawn as at 23 January 2011.
	
		
			   Total COPD claims received  Lowest damages (£)  Highest Damages (£)  Average damages (£) 
			 Total 591,768 0.22 374,630.52 5,360 
		
	
	Of the 591,768 claims made by the deadline to register a claim in March 2004, 454,686 have been settled by payment (as at 31 December 2010) and the average award of this cohort was £5,360.

Departmental Libraries

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many  (a) certified and  (b) chartered librarians his Department has employed in each year since its creation.

Gregory Barker: The Department for Energy and Climate change has not employed a certified or chartered librarian since its creation.

Departmental Marketing

Conor Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the cost to the public purse was of the manufacture and distribution of Department-branded drinks coasters in the last financial year for which figures are available.

Gregory Barker: The Department of Energy and Climate Change spent nothing on Department-branded drinks coasters in the financial year 2009-10.

Electricity Generation

Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change with reference to paragraph 3.3.14 of the Revised Draft Overarching National Policy Statement for Energy, what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of  (a) doubling and  (b) tripling the total installed capacity for electricity generation envisaged as being required by 2050.

Charles Hendry: In July the Department published the 2050 Pathways report, which as well as presenting the assumptions lying behind the 2050 Calculator, calculated high-level costs in the large scale power generation sector for six illustrative pathways. The analysis set out cost figures for the physical capital; fixed and variable operating costs; fuel; nuclear decommissioning and waste; and infrastructure (such as the electricity transmission and distribution network). It does not consider the cost of financing, carbon, electricity imports, research and development, behavioural change or wider macro-economic impacts. Each of these pathways showed a marked increase in electricity demand, up to a doubling in some cases.
	Compared with a 'no effort' pathway, average annual undiscounted fuel costs are £5-12 billion lower in low carbon generation pathways over the period to 2050, while average annual capital costs for the same period are £7-17 billion per year higher. The relative costs of the high and low carbon pathways were heavily dependent on the assumptions made about technology costs and fossil fuel prices.
	As promised in the July publication, the Department is continuing to explore this area in further detail, and will publish an updated version of the Calculator including costs data later this year. Respondents to our Call for Evidence in October indicated strong public support for this course of action.
	Further detailed analysis looking at the cost of electricity generation in the short- and medium-term is being carried out in conjunction with the electricity market reform project, which is to report later in the year.

Energy: Prices

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what information his Department holds on the number of people diagnosed with cancer who are experiencing difficulties in paying their energy bills; whether he  (a) is taking and  (b) plans to take steps to assist such persons; what recent representations he has received on this issue; and if he will make a statement.

Gregory Barker: The Department holds information on the total number of fuel poor who are long term sick or disabled. This information is not broken down by specific medical condition.
	The Department continues to engage closely with interested parties on the issue of fuel poverty, most recently in relation to persons diagnosed with a terminal illness. The Department has worked closely with interested parties, including with Macmillan Cancer Support, during the Warm Home Discount consultation process.

Fuel Poverty

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will take steps to prevent persons diagnosed with a terminal illness from living in fuel poverty; and if he will make a statement.

Gregory Barker: The coalition Government are committed to helping those living in fuel poverty.
	The Department continues to engage closely with interested parties on the issue of fuel poverty, most recently in relation to persons diagnosed with a terminal illness. The Department has worked closely with interested parties, including with Macmillan Cancer Support, during the Warm Home Discount consultation process.

Fuel Poverty

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many and what proportion of people were living in fuel poverty in each  (a) region,  (b) local authority and  (c) parliamentary constituency in the latest period for which figures are available.

Gregory Barker: The following table shows the number and the proportion of households in fuel poverty by Government office region in 2008, the latest year for which this information is available.
	
		
			   Number of households in fuel poverty (thousand)  Percentage of households in fuel poverty 
			 East midlands 359 19 
			 East of England 292 12 
			 London 328 11 
			 North-east 236 21 
			 North-west 531 18 
			 South-east 342 10 
			 South-west 339 15 
			 West midlands 500 23 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 407 18 
		
	
	Fuel poverty data at a local authority and parliamentary constituency level are currently available for England in 2006 and are available on the DECC website at:
	http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/statistics/fuelpov_stats/regional/regional.aspx
	Fuel poverty is a devolved statistic, with each separate Administration of the UK having their own policy targets, measurement and outputs. In 2008, there were 332,000 fuel poor households in Wales, equivalent to 26% of all Welsh households. There is no further regional breakdown on the Welsh fuel poverty data.
	In 2009, there were 770,000 fuel poor households in Scotland, equivalent to 33% of all Scottish households. Fuel poverty data at a local authority level are available for Scotland and can be found in Table 8.10 via the following link:
	http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/SHCS/LA0709

Renewable Energy: Heating

Robin Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when he plans to announce details of the proposed Renewable Heat Incentive.

Gregory Barker: We expect to be in a position to announce the details of the renewable heat incentive (RHI) scheme shortly and to be open for business from 2011.

Warm Front Scheme: Halifax

Linda Riordan: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many people in Halifax have participated in the Warm Front scheme in the last five years.

Gregory Barker: Warm Front has assisted 4,214 households in the constituency of Halifax in the last five years(1).
	(1) From 1 June 2005 to 31 December 2010

Warm Home Discount

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many persons responded to his Department's consultation on the Warm Home Discount; and if he will make a statement.

Gregory Barker: 1,800 responses were received which call for terminally ill people to be included in the core group. 47 responses were received to the consultation as a whole.

Warm Home Discount

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when he expects to publish the results of his Department's Warm Home Discount consultation; and if he will make a statement.

Gregory Barker: A consultation on the Government's proposals for the Warm Home Discount closed on 14 January. The responses to consultation are currently being considered and the Government will publish a response in due course.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Audit Commission: Expenditure

Aidan Burley: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the purpose was of the payment of £5,000 from the Audit Commission to the Institute for Public Policy Research in April 2010; and what the title was of the associated conference.

Bob Neill: This is an operational matter for the Audit Commission and I have asked the chief executive of the Audit Commission to write to my hon. Friend direct.
	 Letter from Eugene Sullivan, dated 31 January 2011:
	Your Parliamentary Question has been passed to me to reply.
	The payment of £5,000 was for sponsorship of an IPPR seminar held on 14 April 2010 titled: The future of grant allocation for local service delivery in England.
	The sponsorship included a Commission exhibition stand and branding at the event and on IPPR marketing materials.

Audit Commission: Expenditure

Aidan Burley: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the purpose was of the payment of £1,083 from the Audit Commission to De Vere Whites in May 2010; and how many officials attended the event for which the payment was made.

Bob Neill: This is an operational matter for the Audit Commission and I have asked the chief executive of the Audit Commission to write to my hon. Friend direct.
	 Letter from Eugene Sullivan, dated 31 January 2011:
	Your Parliamentary Question has been passed to me to reply.
	The meeting was for staff carrying out and reviewing work on quality accounts in Foundation Trusts in the north of England.
	The event considerably reduced the time taken to complete and review the final audit reports, which enabled us to keep the costs of the audits to the clients, who paid directly for them, to a minimum.
	An external venue was used as the Commission has no accommodation large enough in that area.
	There were 30 attendees.

Audit Commission: Expenditure

Aidan Burley: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much the Audit Commission has paid to GymWorld Ltd. in the last 24 months; and for what purpose.

Bob Neill: This is an operational matter for the Audit Commission and I have asked the chief executive of the Audit Commission to write to my hon. Friend direct.
	 Letter from Eugene Sullivan, dated 31 January 2011:
	Your Parliamentary Question has been passed to me to reply.
	During the last 24 months, the Commission has paid £1,078 to Gymworld for equipment used by staff in the gym at the Commission's Bristol office. This payment was recovered in total through staff subscriptions.
	The Audit Commission does not fund or subsidise the staff gym and there is no cost to the public purse.

Audit Commission: Expenditure

Aidan Burley: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the purpose was of the meeting in the City Inn Westminster funded by the Audit Commission at a cost of £466 in April 2010; and how many officials attended the meeting.

Bob Neill: This is an operational matter for the Audit Commission and I have asked the chief executive of the Audit Commission to write to my hon. Friend direct.
	 Letter from Eugene Sullivan, dated 31 January 2011:
	Your Parliamentary Question has been passed to me to reply.
	The above meeting took place on 15 March 2010 and was a training event for Chairs of Professional Communities. There were 10 attendees. Meeting facilities were unavailable at Millbank at this time due to building work taking place as part of office downsizing.

Audit Commission: Expenditure

Aidan Burley: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the purpose was of the expenditure of £4,813 by the Audit Commission on the Royal Horseguards Hotel in June 2010; and how many officials attended the associated function.

Bob Neill: This is an operational matter for the Audit Commission and I have asked the chief executive of the Audit Commission to write to my hon. Friend direct.
	 Letter from Eugene Sullivan, dated 31 January 2011:
	Your Parliamentary Question has been passed to me to reply.
	The above expenditure was for an Audit Commission Alumni event held on 12 May 2010. There were 34 attendees and the event was an information gathering and exchange exercise with both former and current staff.
	The Commission no longer holds Alumni events but relies on electronic networking.

Audit Commission: Expenditure

Aidan Burley: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the purpose was of the expenditure of £3,635 by the Audit Commission on the Holiday Inn Regents Park in June 2010; and how many officials attended the associated function.

Bob Neill: This is an operational matter for the Audit Commission and I have asked the chief executive of the Audit Commission to write to my hon. Friend direct.
	 Letter from Eugene Sullivan, dated 31 January 2011:
	Your Parliamentary Question has been passed to me to reply.
	The expenditure was for a professional development event for senior audit staff on 23 April 2010. Twenty six delegates, travelling from across the country, attended the event and eighteen of these required one night's overnight accommodation.

Audit Commission: Expenditure

Aidan Burley: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much the Audit Commission spent on external public  (a) affairs and  (b) relations in each of the last five years.

Bob Neill: This is an operational matter for the Audit Commission and I have asked the chief executive of the Audit Commission to write to my hon. Friend direct.
	 Letter from Eugene Sullivan, dated 31 January 2011:
	Your Parliamentary Question has been passed to me to reply.
	The Commission spent the following amounts on external public affairs and relations in each of the last five years:
	
		
			  Consolidated Communications 
			   £ 
			 2006-07 36,300.00 
			 2007-08 56,319.16 
			 2008-09 21,276.60 
			 2009-10 - 
			 2010-11 - 
		
	
	
		
			  EMAP 
			   £ 
			 2006-07 21,100.00 
			 2007-08 21,156.00 
			 2008-09 21,276.60 
			 2009-10 22,425.36 
			 2010-11 22,425.36 
		
	
	The Commission subscribes to an online information service provided by DeHavilland (EMAP) that allows our staff to keep informed of developments in Whitehall and Westminster.
	
		
			  Connect Public Affairs 
			   £ 
			 2006-07 - 
			 2007-08 - 
			 2008-09 27,594.88 
			 2009-10 38,696.88 
			 2010-11 - 
		
	
	This contract was terminated in February 2010.

Audit Commission: Expenditure

Aidan Burley: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much the Audit Commission spent on alcohol in each of the last three financial years.

Bob Neill: This is an operational matter for the Audit Commission and I have asked the chief executive of the Audit Commission to write to my hon. Friend direct.
	 Letter from Eugene Sullivan, dated 31 January 2011:
	Your Parliamentary Question has been passed to me to reply.
	The Audit Commission does not separately record expenditure on alcohol, because detailed invoicing is inconsistent. It does not allow staff to claim for alcoholic drinks when staying overnight on Commission business.

Council Tax

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps his Department is taking to implement its policy on localising and reducing council tax benefit by 10 per cent.

Bob Neill: The Government are still working to formulate the new arrangements on council tax benefit as announced in the 2010 spending review.

Departmental Furniture

Aidan Burley: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much the Audit Commission has spent on office chairs in the last 12 months for which figures are available; and what the  (a) make and model and  (b) cost was of each type of chair.

Bob Neill: This is an operational matter for the Audit Commission and I have asked the chief executive of the Audit Commission to write to my hon. Friend direct.
	 Letter from Eugene Sullivan, dated 31 January 2011:
	Your Parliamentary Question has been passed to me to reply.
	The Audit Commission has spent a total of £53,507.64 on office chairs in the last 12 months, as detailed on the attached sheet.
	Since our abolition was announced on 13 August 2010, no further purchases of office chairs have been made.
	
		
			  Supplier  Make/model  Quantity  Type  Unit price (£)  Total (£) 
			 Kinnarps Monroe 966 12 Meeting Room Chairs 278.40 3,340.80 
			  Bone 11 Meeting Room Chairs 562.36 6,185.96 
			  MTE1A Stacking Chair 5 Meeting Room Chairs 206.40 1,032.00 
			  Omni Swivel chair 4812 4 Meeting Room Chairs 854.40 3,417.60 
			  Chair 5000CV 522 20 Meeting Room Chairs 177.60 3,552.00 
			  Citra Chair 315 4 Meeting Room Chairs 99.00 396.00 
			  Chair 5000CV 522A 16 Meeting Room Chairs 130.80 2,092.80 
			   
			 Naughtone Track Bench 6 seater 1 Meeting Room Chair 1,962.00 1,962.00 
			  Hush Chair on Sled Legs 2 Meeting Room Chairs 840.00 1,680.00 
			   
			 Godfrey Syrett Ergo Plus Chair High Back Asynchro 125 Desk Chairs 201.57 25,196.85 
			  Event 3 Meeting Room Chairs 234.00 702.00 
			  Prime 1090/SL 12 Meeting Room Chairs 180.00 2,160.00 
			  Xtreme Plus Costa Stacking Chair 8 Meeting Room Chairs 158.00 1,264.00 
			   
			 Posturite RH Logic 300 1 Desk Chair 525.63 525.63 
			 Total 53,507.64

Departmental Newspaper Press

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps he is taking to reduce his Department's expenditure on  (a) newspapers and journals and  (b) external media monitoring.

Bob Neill: Since May 2010, the Department has consolidated the seven separate sets of national newspapers previously received by the ministerial and special adviser offices to a single shared set of papers, delivering over £15,000 of ongoing revenue savings.
	In addition, the Department's Communications Directorate has undertaken a review that has led to a reduction in the number of magazines and journals it subscribes to and a move to a single supplier, realising further annual savings of approximately £6,000.
	In September 2010 the Department's regional cuttings service was cancelled and the national cuttings service moved to an electronic only format with a limited list of recipients. Neither DCLG Ministers nor officials in the Department now receive hard copy press cuttings. Ministers have taken the view that an excessive and unnecessary amount of taxpayers' money was being spent on press cuttings. The Department estimates that the cancellation of the regional cuttings service and streamlining of the national cuttings service will save approximately £16,000 and £19,000 respectively in the remainder of this financial year.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Ian Mearns: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much his Department has spent on photography since May 2010.

Bob Neill: This information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. However, all spending on goods and services over £500 is published by my Department's website.
	Moreover, no ministerial photographs have been procured at public expense; this is in contrast to the £2,648 of taxpayers' money spent on ministerial photography from April 2006 to April 2010.

Empty Properties

Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps his Department is taking to reduce the incidence of long-term empty properties following the announcement of his planned reforms to empty dwelling management orders.

Andrew Stunell: The coalition agreement commits us to exploring a range of measures to bring empty homes back into use. As part of that, we have recently completed a consultation on the New Homes Bonus which includes the option of including empty homes within the scheme. This could provide local authorities with a powerful financial incentive to tackle empty homes as part of their overall approach to meeting housing need.
	We will also provide £100 million for housing associations and local authorities to bring over 3,000 empty homes back into use as low cost housing. This will enable local authorities and housing associations to tackle the most difficult properties by providing renovation works and management support.
	Our proposals to reform to Empty Dwelling Management Orders will allow local authorities to take action against genuinely derelict housing which blight neighbourhoods, whilst respecting the rights of responsible home owners.

Empty Properties

Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many  (a) private,  (b) council-owned and  (c) registered social landlord dwellings were recorded as being empty for longer than six months in each local authority in each of the last four years.

Bob Neill: A table showing the total number of dwellings recorded as being empty for longer than six months, and the numbers of dwellings owned by local councils and registered social landlords recorded as being empty for longer than six months in each English local authority in each of the last four years has been placed in the Library of the House.
	The number of registered social landlord dwellings that are empty and not immediately available for letting is used as a proxy measure for vacancy of more than six months duration. Figures on council owned dwellings show the number of vacant dwellings owned by each local authority regardless of in which local authority area they are located. Reliable data on the numbers of privately owned dwellings that are empty are nut held centrally.

Local Authorities: Powers

Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what arrangements he plans to put in place to monitor the use of powers proposed to be given to local authorities under the provisions of the Localism Bill.

Greg Clark: We intend to undertake a post implementation review of the key provisions in the Localism Bill within three to five years of them being commenced. Post implementation reviews examine the extent to which the policy has achieved its objective, assess the costs and identify whether there have been any unintended consequences.

Local Authorities: Standards

Penny Mordaunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what progress he has made on formulating a code of recommended practice for local authorities; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Neill: We are currently considering the Communities and Local Government Committee report, published on 27 January, on our proposed publicity code. We intend to lay a new code before Parliament and publish the Government response to both the consultation and committee's report shortly.

Local Government: Christmas

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many local authorities have notified his Department that they do not plan to organise events to mark the festival of Christmas in 2010.

Andrew Stunell: Local authorities are not required to tell my Department how they are celebrating Christmas as this is a local matter. However, the Secretary of State has received approximately 60 letters supporting his stance on the celebration of Christmas.

Members: Code of Conduct

Graham Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps he plans to take in cases where a local authority does not introduce a voluntary code of conduct for elected members.

Bob Neill: None. It will be a matter for each local authority, democratically accountable to its own electorate, to decide whether or not to introduce a code of conduct for its members. In taking this decision, a council will have regard to the duty, provided for in the Localism Bill, to promote and maintain high standards of conduct by its elected members. The Bill will make it a criminal offence to deliberately withhold or misrepresent a personal interest.

New Homes Bonus

Graham Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when he plans to make proposals arising from his consultation on the New Homes Bonus.

Grant Shapps: The New Homes Bonus will commence in April 2011. A consultation on the scheme design closed on 24 December 2010 and we are considering the responses. We will make an announcement on the final scheme design as soon as possible.

Planning

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what mechanisms he plans to put in place to ensure that enforcement of planning regulation is strengthened in relation to unauthorised development.

Bob Neill: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Tiverton and Honiton (Neil Parish) on 17 January 2011,  Official Report, column 503W.

Planning Permission

Ian Lavery: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many planning applications his Department  (a) called in and  (b) otherwise recovered for decision from each local authority in each of the last three years.

Bob Neill: A table setting out planning applications called in and planning appeals recovered for the Secretary of State's decision have been placed in the Library of the House.

Publicity Code

Graham Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when he plans to publish proposals arising from his Department's consultation on the publicity code.

Bob Neill: We are currently considering the Communities and Local Government Committee report, published on 27 January, on our proposed publicity code. We intend to lay a new code before Parliament and publish the Government response to both the consultation and Committee's report shortly.

Referendum

Graham Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the cost of holding a referendum relating to council tax increases for the average  (a) county,  (b) district and  (c) unitary local authority;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the cost of holding a referendum on a local issue for the average  (a) county,  (b) district and  (c) unitary local authority.

Bob Neill: The provisional figures in my Department's impact assessment for the council tax referendums consultation paper published on 30 July 2010, show that the estimated costs was around £70,000 to £250,000. This would be around £1.50 per elector, or around 50 pence per elector if a local referendum was held at the same time as an election in the area concerned. The impact assessment is available to view on the departmental website:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/localgovernment/vetocounciltaxincreasesconsult
	An impact assessment, on the Localism Bill covering referendums' costs will be published in due course.
	We believe our referendum proposals will be more democratic, especially since the right to veto excessive council tax increases will replace the top-down system of council tax capping by Whitehall, which gives no say to local residents.

Thames Gateway Development Corporation: Public Appointments

Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when he plans to appoint a representative of the London borough of Tower Hamlets to serve on the Board of the Thames Gateway Development Corporation; and what the reason is for the time taken to make this appointment following the submission of the borough's nomination.

Bob Neill: I hope to make an appointment shortly. My officials are currently consulting the Office of the Commissioner of Public Appointments on the process to be followed in appointing a representative of the London borough of Tower Hamlets as a member of the London Thames Gateway Development Corporation. While this consultation takes place, arrangements have been made for a representative of the borough to attend and speak at all meetings of the corporation.

TRANSPORT

Airports: South East

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his policy is on airport capacity in the South East.

Theresa Villiers: We have made clear that we do not support the construction of additional runways at Heathrow, Gatwick or Stansted.
	We have established the South East Airports Taskforce with key players from across the industry to explore the scope for measures to make the most of existing airport infrastructure and improve conditions for users of Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted.
	We are also committed to producing a new policy framework for UK aviation which supports economic growth and protects Heathrow's status as a global hub, as well as addressing aviation's environmental impacts. We will issue a scoping document in March 2011, setting out the key strategic questions we are seeking to answer, followed by publication of a draft policy framework for consultation in March 2012.

Bus Services: Disability Aids

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the merits of requiring the introduction of audio and visual information systems on all new buses.

Norman Baker: Research has been commissioned to assess the costs and benefits of installing audio visual systems on buses. The research project has brought together a cross section of stakeholders, including Guide Dogs, Royal National Institute of Blind People and Royal National Institute for Deaf People.
	We will take account of the results of this work in considering any changes to the Public Service Vehicles Accessibility Regulations 2000 (PSVAR).The project is due to report shortly.

Bus Services: Finance

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 10 January 2011,  Official Report, column 29W, on bus services: finance, what definition of impact on services he uses.

Norman Baker: The term "impact on services" in the answer given on 10 January 2011 relates to the estimated percentage reduction in bus mileage in each of the specified areas.

Departmental Pubic Appointments

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  how many  (a) women and  (b) men have been appointed to public duties by his Department since May 2010;
	(2)  what public appointments he has made since his appointment; and to what payments each person so appointed is entitled.

Norman Baker: Information on key public appointments made since May 2010 is published in individual press releases. These should include information on remuneration. Press releases are available at
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/press/releases/
	In addition, information on the gender of those serving on the boards of public bodies is published annually. Information for the 2010/11 period will be published in due course.

Driving Instruction: Training

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of expenditure by the Driving Standards Agency on the design, promotion and implementation of the programme of continuing professional development for driving instructors in the latest period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Michael Penning: holding answer 24 January 2011
	The Driving Standards Agency (DSA) can provide the answer in full only at disproportionate cost.
	Continuing professional development (CPD) for driving instructors was developed as an element of the agency's modernising driver training (MDT) project and is being promoted on a voluntary basis.
	Since 1 April 2008, DSA has spent £111,532 on the design and promotion of voluntary CPD within the driving instructor industry.
	DSA is, at this time, unable to readily identify other costs relating specifically to CPD, such as the cost of implementing it, as it is only one element of the wider MDT project.

Driving Standards Agency: Cardiff

Owen Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he took the decision to close the Driving Standards Agency office in Cardiff.

Michael Penning: I was first made aware of the intention of chief executive of the Driving Standards Agency to close the agency's office in Cardiff on 13 December 2010.
	Further work needed to be done before details of the proposal could be finalised and the chief executive advised DSA staff of this on 15 December.
	The final decision was announced on 18 January 2011.

Driving Standards Agency: Cardiff

Owen Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent  (a) discussions and  (b) correspondence Ministers and officials of his Department have had with the Wales Office on the closure of the Driving Standards Agency in Cardiff.

Michael Penning: The Secretary of State and I have regular discussions with the Secretary of State for Wales, on a range of issues affecting Wales including the restructuring of the Driving Standards Agency.
	We will continue to have such discussions regarding the proposed closure of the Cardiff DSA office throughout the consultation period.

Eurostar

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions Ministers in his Department have had with the chief executive of Eurostar since 1 December 2010; what the outcomes were of such discussions; and if he will make a statement.

Theresa Villiers: Department for Transport's Ministers have not had any discussions with the chief executive of Eurostar since 1 December 2010. However, officials in the Department continue to hold regular discussions with the company.
	I spoke to the chairman of Eurostar, Richard Brown, by phone in December.

Great Western Railway: Electrification

Nicola Blackwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent assessment he has made of the  (a) cost and  (b) benefits of the electrification of the Great Western Main Line between London and Oxfordshire.

Theresa Villiers: The Secretary of State announced on 25 November 2010 that the line between London, Oxford, Didcot and Newbury will be electrified over the next six years. Switching to electric trains will speed up journeys, improve reliability and reduce the impact on the environment. The exact costs and benefits of the scheme will depend on the full extent of electrification beyond Didcot, and a further announcement will be made in the coming weeks.

High Speed 2: Public Consultation

Chris White: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will ensure that the forthcoming consultation on High Speed 2 will be open to responses from constituencies not only directly along the line of the proposed route, but also those adjacent to such constituencies; and if he will make a statement.

Philip Hammond: holding answer 24 January 2011
	 All interested parties will be welcome to respond to the consultation regardless of their geographic location or any other factor.

High Speed Trains: West Coast Main Line

Christopher Pincher: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of  (a) the remaining capacity on the West Coast Main Line and  (b) the maximum increase in capacity from upgrading the Chilterns Line if High Speed Two is not constructed.

Philip Hammond: I have made no estimate of the remaining capacity on the West Coast Main Line. In December 2010, Network Rail published a draft West Coast Main Line Route Utilisation Strategy for consultation which indicates that by 2024, the route, particularly at its southern end, will effectively be full.
	The Department for Transport published a report by Atkins in March 2010 which reviewed options for upgrading the Chiltern line as an alternative to High Speed Two. This indicated that additional capacity could be provided with substantial investment in the route, but that the economic case for such expenditure would be poor. The report can be viewed on the Department's website at:
	www.dft.gov.uk/highspeedrail

High Speed Trains: West Midlands

Christopher Pincher: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make an estimate of the likely economic benefits to  (a) Tamworth,  (b) Staffordshire and  (c) the West Midlands from High Speed Two.

Philip Hammond: The forthcoming consultation will include a detailed economic appraisal of the proposed line between London and the West Midlands and a higher-level assessment of the economic case for the 'Y'-shaped network. While it is hard to disaggregate these benefits for specific locations, Tamworth, Staffordshire and the West Midlands would each benefit from high-speed rail, including from capacity being released on existing lines.

Highways Agency: Telephone Services

John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 24 January 2011,  Official Report, column 83W, on the Highways Agency: telephone services, what proportion of calls to the Highways Agency public helpline were unanswered in each week of November and December 2010.

Michael Penning: The following table shows the proportion of calls unanswered in each week of November and December 2010. Calls abandoned within 60 seconds are not counted as part of our abandoned call target as customers are given information in front end messages which may provide the answer required without the need to speak to an adviser. This is the agreed internal key performance indicator in line with industry standards.
	
		
			  Week commencing  Received  Answered  Abandoned after  60- second wait  P ercentage abandoned after 60- second wait 
			 1 November 2,507 2,285 85 3.4 
			 8 November 2,947 2,541 185 6.3 
			 15 November 2,373 2,147 106 4.5 
			 22 November 3,677 3,228 217 5.9 
			 29 November 9,231 6,311 1,298 14.1 
			 6 December 3,772 3,377 165 4.4 
			 13 December 8,072 4,098 2,524 31.3 
			 20 December 6,449 4,963 921 14.3 
			 27 December 1,444 1,371 29 2.0

Large Goods Vehicles

Gary Streeter: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the acknowledged stopping time is for heavy goods vehicles travelling within each legal speed limit; and if he will make a statement.

Michael Penning: Stopping time and distance depends on a number of factors, including road conditions, driver-reaction time and also the condition of the vehicle including its tyres.
	We would expect the minimum stopping time for heavy goods vehicles would be according to the following table:
	
		
			  Speed (mph)  Time (seconds) 
			 30 3.9 
			 40 4.8 
			 50 5.7 
			 60 6.6

Large Goods Vehicles: Technology

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will bring forward legislative proposals to make anti jack-knifing technology such as anti-lock brakes, electronic brake force distribution, electromagnetic braking systems or manually operated trailer brakes mandatory for all freight vehicles on UK roads; and if he will make a statement.

Michael Penning: Legislation introduced in Great Britain in May 2002 requires all heavy commercial vehicles and their trailers, with a maximum gross weight exceeding 3500kg, to be fitted with anti-lock braking systems.
	A large number of new heavy commercial vehicles and their trailers are also fitted with electronic braking systems. In addition, electronic stability systems will be required on new vehicles and trailers under a phased introduction starting in November 2011.
	European wide legislation on vehicle and trailer construction standards is already in place. While there are no plans to mandate specific anti jack-knifing technology, the introduction of advanced stability and braking systems on new vehicles will help to reduce loss of control situations which can lead to vehicle jack knifing.

Network Rail: Contracts

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what the monetary value was of contingent labour contracts funded by Network Rail in each of the last five financial years;
	(2)  how much funding Network Rail plans to allocate to  (a) track maintenance,  (b) overhead lines maintenance and  (c) contingent labour in each of the next four financial years.

Theresa Villiers: These are operational matters for Network Rail as the owner and operator of the national rail network. The hon. Member should contact Network Rail's acting chief executive at the following address for a response to his questions:
	Peter Henderson
	Acting Chief Executive
	Network Rail
	Kings Place
	90 York Way
	London
	N1 9AG

Network Rail: Overcrowding

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will discuss with Network Rail and First Great Western steps to deal with overcrowding on weekday services to London Paddington departing from  (a) Bristol Temple Meads at 06.00,  (b) Oxford at 07.10 and  (c) Reading at 07.42.

Theresa Villiers: holding answer 26 January 2011
	 The Department for Transport is currently in discussions with First Great Western regarding steps to reduce overcrowding on its services.

Railways

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the 10 rail services with the highest usage were in each of the last four quarters for which figures are available.

Theresa Villiers: Passenger counts are currently collected from franchised train operators twice a year: in the spring and autumn. Count data held by the Department for Transport are classified as commercially confidential and the data are not normally released at a service level. However, a list of the 10 most overcrowded peak-time London commuter train services in autumn 2009 was released recently by the Department. A copy of this list has been placed in the House Libraries.

Railways: Industrial Disputes

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answers of 21 December 2010,  Official Report, column 1302W and 14 March 2005,  Official Report, column 4W, on railways: disputes, for what reasons the information is no longer released on grounds of commercial confidentiality; and if he will make a statement.

Theresa Villiers: holding answer 27 January 2011
	The answer to the question of 21 December 2010 covers a single payment, which would thus be identifiable. To release the information requested would constitute a breach of commercial confidentiality.
	This contrasts with the answer referred to within the question on 14 March 2005, which provided aggregated information relating to a number of payments. In this case, disclosure of the total amounts paid did not provide information that was sufficient to identify individual payments or the operators to whom they were paid.

Railways: Overcrowding

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which 50 rail passenger routes showed the greatest excess of load over capacity in the most recent survey period for which figures are available.

Theresa Villiers: holding answer 25 January 2011
	 Passenger counts are currently collected from franchised train operators twice a year: in the spring and autumn. Count data held by the Department for Transport are classified as commercially confidential and the data are not normally released at a service level. However, a list of the 10 most overcrowded peak-time London commuter train services in autumn 2009 was released recently by the Department. A copy of this list has been placed in the House Libraries.

Railways: Public Expenditure

Guto Bebb: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proportion of funding in his Department's Statement of Funds Available will be spent on railways in  (a) England and  (b) Wales as a result of the outcome of the comprehensive spending review.

Theresa Villiers: The Department for Transport does not hold information which separates out the statement of funds available in England and Wales.

Road Traffic: Oil

Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what price of oil per barrel his Department used in its estimates of congestion in the next five years.

Norman Baker: The Department for Transport forecasts changes in congestion using the National Transport Model (NTM). The most recent forecast report, "Road Transport Forecasts 2009: Results from the Department for Transport's National Transport Model", contains congestion forecasts for 2015, and is available at:
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/economics/ntm/forecasts2009/
	The oil price projections assumed in the above forecasts are those published by the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC).
	DECC's latest forecasts of fossil fuel prices and a description of the scenarios are available at:
	http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/statistics/projections/projections.aspx

Roads: Accidents

Mark Tami: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many road traffic accidents involving under-age drivers were reported in each police authority area in each of the last five years; and how many such incidents resulted in prosecutions.

Michael Penning: The number of reported personal injury road accidents involving at least one driver below the minimum legal age required to drive that vehicle is given in the following table:
	
		
			  Reported personal injury road accidents involving at least one driver below the minimum legal age required to drive that vehicle( 1, 2) , by police force: Great Britain 2005 to 2009 
			  Accidents 
			  Police force code  2005  2006  2007  2008  2009 
			 Great Britain 1,237 987 814 639 520 
			 Avon and Somerset 44 32 19 25 19 
			 Bedfordshire 20 17 9 3 8 
			 Cambridgeshire 20 16 13 8 5 
			 Cheshire 27 16 19 12 12 
			 City of London 0 1 0 0 0 
			 Cleveland 8 7 6 3 4 
			 Cumbria 9 4 4 4 5 
			 Derbyshire 15 17 10 13 15 
			 Devon and Cornwall 72 51 41 28 28 
			 Dorset 23 8 14 9 4 
			 Durham 6 10 7 13 10 
			 Essex 20 34 29 21 7 
			 Gloucestershire 8 8 11 5 5 
			 Greater Manchester 89 63 35 25 13 
			 Hampshire 35 35 28 15 14 
			 Hertfordshire 21 13 10 11 4 
			 Humberside 34 12 13 9 12 
			 Kent 43 44 24 21 18 
			 Lancashire 40 21 25 25 22 
			 Leicestershire 20 14 7 10 9 
			 Lincolnshire 13 10 8 5 4 
			 Merseyside 38 27 22 10 12 
			 Metropolitan Police 101 76 61 63 43 
			 Norfolk 9 10 9 10 3 
			 North Yorkshire 12 9 8 2 8 
			 Northamptonshire 12 8 4 9 5 
			 Northumbria 29 21 20 17 15 
			 Nottinghamshire 25 24 21 12 13 
			 South Yorkshire 51 35 31 18 16 
			 Staffordshire 17 26 20 7 4 
			 Suffolk 10 7 5 14 8 
			 Surrey 28 15 8 23 13 
			 Sussex 38 24 27 17 13 
			 Thames Valley 32 31 21 18 10 
			 Warwickshire 11 12 7 11 6 
			 West Mercia 17 7 10 4 17 
			 West Midlands 62 33 36 23 20 
			 West Yorkshire 44 58 49 31 30 
			 Wiltshire 8 10 7 4 5 
			   
			 Dyfed-Powys 10 5 8 4 1 
			 Gwent 10 10 9 2 6 
			 North Wales 7 13 7 5 5 
			 South Wales 20 18 22 11 10 
			   
			 Central 4 5 4 8 3 
			 Dumfries and Galloway 4 3 2 1 2 
			 Fife 1 1 3 4 1 
			 Grampian 9 10 7 6 8 
			 Lothian and Borders 10 14 23 13 9 
			 Northern 7 8 0 5 1 
			 Strathclyde 36 26 26 17 11 
			 Tayside 8 8 5 5 4 
			 (1 )Relates to drivers of a motor vehicle only. (2 )Includes accidents involving motor vehicles of an unspecified type. In these cases the legal age to drive has been assumed to be 17. 
		
	
	The court proceedings database held by the Ministry of Justice, contains information on defendants proceeded against, found guilty and sentenced for criminal offences in England and Wales. Other than where specified in a statute, statistical information available centrally does not include the circumstances of each case. It is therefore not possible to separately identify from motoring offences proceeded against those which resulted in an accident.

Roads: Accidents

Mark Tami: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many road traffic accidents involving uninsured drivers were reported in each police authority area in each of the last five years.

Michael Penning: The information requested is not collected centrally by the Department for Transport.

Roads: Accidents

David Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he is taking to reduce the number of accidents involving  (a) motorcyclists,  (b) cyclists and  (c) pedestrians.

Michael Penning: We are aiming to publish the new strategic framework for road safety by April of this year and intend for the measures that it will set out to continue to increase road safety for all road users, including motorcyclists, cyclists and pedestrians.

Roads: Accidents

Mark Tami: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many recorded accidents on  (a) A-roads and  (b) motorways were attributable to escaped farm animals and horses in each of the last five years.

Michael Penning: The Department for Transport collates information on animals identified as carriageway hazards in reported personal injury road accidents. However, information on the types of animals involved in accidents and whether they were escaped farm animals or horses is not available.
	The number of reported personal injury road accidents involving animals as hazards in the carriageway by  (a) A-roads and  (b) motorways in the last five years is shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Number of reported personal injury road accidents where an animal( 1)  was identified as carriageway haza rd, by type of roads, Great Britain,  2005-09 
			   Type of r oad 
			   A-r oads  Motorways 
			 2005 473 36 
			 2006 492 29 
			 2007 450 33 
			 2008 371 18 
			 2009 354 25 
			 (1) Except ridden horse.

Roads: Safety

Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will set a precise date for the publication of his Department's new strategic framework for road safety.

Michael Penning: holding answer 27 January 2011
	The Department for Transport's business plan for 2011-15 sets out that the date for developing the new strategic framework for road safety is by April 2011.

Sole Bay

Therese Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what factors he took into account in reaching his decision that Sole Bay should be the only place where ship-to-ship transfers of oil can be made in UK coastal waters.

Michael Penning: I took into account the fact that these waters off the Suffolk coast are the only area where the Department's Maritime and Coastguard Agency currently allows ship-to-ship transfers (other than those in a harbour authority area) to be carried out, and that these waters are recognised by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency and by the industry as a suitable area for carrying out ship-to-ship transfers on navigational safety grounds. I also considered whether there was a demand from the industry for ship-to-ship transfers in other locations around the UK coast, and I considered the implications of introducing ship-to-ship transfers to waters where they are not currently carried out.

Speed Limits: Cameras

Henry Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps is he taking to make speed camera data  (a) in Sussex and  (b) nationally more accessible to the public.

Michael Penning: We have made a commitment that information about cameras will be easily available to the public by April 2011. This could include data about accident rates at camera sites, vehicle speeds and the numbers of motorists prosecuted or offered training after offences recorded by cameras.
	Public bodies should be accountable and if taxpayers' money is being spent on speed cameras then it is right that information about their effectiveness is available to the public. These proposals will help show what impact cameras are having on accident and casualty rates and also how the police are dealing with offenders. This is in line with our commitment to improve transparency of Government data so that the public are able to make more informed judgments about the work of local and central Government.

Train Operating Companies: Water

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport under what circumstances train companies are required to provide water to passengers free of charge.

Theresa Villiers: There is no legal or contractual requirement for train operating companies to provide water to passengers free of charge.

Transport: Costs

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the change in real terms of the cost of travelling by  (a) private car,  (b) bus,  (c) train and  (d) domestic aeroplane since (i) 1981 and (ii) 1997.

Norman Baker: holding answer 21 January 2011
	Between 1981 and 2010 the real cost of motoring, including the purchase of a vehicle, declined by 10%, bus and coach fares increased by 56% and rail fares increased by 51% in real terms. These figures are based on the transport components of the retail prices index.
	Between 1997 and 2010 the real cost of motoring, including the purchase of a vehicle, declined by 7%, bus and coach fares increased by 24% and rail fares increased by 17% in real terms.
	The costs of travelling by air are not available from the retail prices index. However, the cost of the average UK one-way air fare, including taxes and charges, covering domestic flights fell by 35% in real terms between 1997 and 2008, the latest date for which figures are available.

Transport: Finance

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many major infrastructure projects his Department is committed to funding  (a) in London and  (b) elsewhere in England; and what the value is of each such project.

Philip Hammond: holding answer 17 January 2011
	My Department is committed to funding the following major infrastructure projects:
	 (a) London
	
		
			  Rail projects 
			  Project  Value (£ billion) 
			 Crossrail (1)4.7 
			 Thameslink c.4.0 
			 (1) DFT contribution (total value c.£14.6 billion) 
		
	
	Other major transport infrastructure projects in London, such as investment in the London Underground network, are funded by Transport for London (TfL), drawing on financial support provided by the Secretary of State and on TfL's other sources of income, including fares.
	The funding agreement between the Secretary of State and the Mayor of London, available at:
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/press/letters/tflfunding/
	sets out the level of financial support for the next four years. The Mayor has confirmed that this agreement will allow TfL to deliver the infrastructure projects listed at Annex B of the funding agreement.
	 (b) Elsewhere in England
	
		
			  Rail projects 
			  Project  Value (£ million) 
			 Reading Station c.850 
			 Electrification to Newbury/Oxford c.600 
		
	
	Other rail infrastructure projects are funded by Network Rail (NR), drawing on income from the Department for Transport and NR's own borrowing.
	
		
			  Road schemes 
			  Existing schemes  Value (£ million)( 1) 
			 M1 junctions 10-13 460 
			 M1 junction 19 Catthorpe viaduct replacement 25 
			 M25 junctions 16-23 700 
			 M25 junctions 27-30 590 
			 A1 Dishforth-Leeming 330 
			 A3 Hindhead 380 
			 A46 Newark-Widmerpool 390 
			 (1) These values are central estimates within a range estimate for each scheme. 
		
	
	 Forthcoming committed schemes (due to start before 2015)
	M1 junctions 28-31
	M1 junctions 32-35a
	M1 junctions 39-42
	M25 junctions 5-6/7
	M25 junctions 23-27
	M4 junctions 19-20 and M5 junctions 15-17
	M6 junctions 5-8
	M60 junctions 8-12
	M60 junctions 12-15
	M62 junctions 18-20
	M62 junctions 25-30
	A11 Fiveways-Thetford
	A23 Handcross-Warninglid
	A556 Knutsford-Bowdon
	My Department has asked the Highways Agency to develop by spring this year an optimised programme for delivering the 14 schemes confirmed as going ahead in my announcement of 26 October 2010. This programme will deliver maximum efficiency savings across the programme. The programme was previously valued at £2.3 billion (the total of central estimates within a range for each scheme). Given that the agency's work to develop an optimised programme for the schemes is not yet complete, and that the work involves commercial negotiations with the supply chain, it would not be appropriate to attempt to set out scheme estimates in more detail or against individual schemes.
	
		
			  Local authority major schemes 
			  Local authority  Scheme name  DF T maximum contribution  (£ million) 
			 Luton Luton-Dunstable Busway (formerly Translink) 80.3 
			 Essex A130/A13 Sadlers Farm Junction 63.5 
			 Tees Valley Tees Valley Bus Network Improvements 37.5 
			 Nexus Metro Ticketing and Gating 13.4 
			 GMPTE Metrolink Extensions Phase 3b (Ashton and E Didsbury) 123.1 
			 GMPTE Metrolink Extensions Phase 3a (Rochdale, Oldham and Chorlton) 273.3 
			 Wirral/Merseytravel/HA Bidston Moss Viaduct (M53 J1) Maintenance (1)76.6 
			 Stockport Greater Manchester Highway Retaining Walls Maintenance 40.5 
			 Blackpool Blackpool and Fleetwood Tramway Upgrade 66.9 
			 Cheshire A34 Alderley Edge and Nether Alderley Bypass 48.2 
			 Liverpool Edge Lane/Eastern Approaches 19.3 
			 GMPTE Greater Manchester Urban Traffic Control (UTC) 13.5 
			 Liverpool Hall Lane Strategic Gateway 16.5 
			 Kent East Kent Access Phase 2 82.1 
			 Kent Sittingbourne Northern Relief Road 23.4 
			 Dorset Weymouth Relief Road 79.2 
			 South Gloucestershire Greater Bristol Bus Network 42.3 
			 Dorset Weymouth 2012 Package 9.1 
			 Poole Borough Council Poole Bridge Regeneration Initiative 14.1 
			 Somerset County Council Taunton Third Way 5.4 
			 Birmingham Birmingham Gateway (New Street) (2)160.6 
			 WM Mets West Mids Urban Traffic Control 26.6 
			 Sandwell A41 Expressway 22.2 
			 WM Mets West Midlands Red Routes Phase 1 23.0 
			 Wolverhampton Wolverhampton Interchange 15.6 
			 Birmingham Selly Oak New Road 31.5 
			 Dudley Burnt Tree Junction 11.8 
			 Leeds A65 Quality Bus Corridor 19.8 
			 Nexus Tyne and Wear Metro Upgrade 350.0 
			 Surrey Walton Bridge 23.9 
			 (1) Total DFT contribution (HA plus major schemes) (2) Excludes Network Rail funding 
		
	
	
		
			  Local authority PFI projects 
			  Operational LA PFI projects  PFI credit (£million)( 1) 
			 Carlisle Northern Development Route 158.0 
			 A130 (Essex) 97.5 
			 Doncaster Interchange 26.2 
			 Nottingham Express Transit 1 174.2 
			 Barnet 27.8 
			 Blackpool 33.9 
			 Brent 7.5 
			 Coventry 64.3 
			 Derby 35.7 
			 Dorset 31.6 
			 Ealing 25.3 
			 Enfield 23.7 
			 Hampshire 121.0 
			 Islington 12.2 
			 Lambeth 17.2 
			 Leeds 94.6 
			 Manchester 34.1 
			 Norfolk 38.1 
			 North Tyneside and Newcastle 44.4 
			 Nottingham 44.6 
			 Redcar and Cleveland 21.1 
			 Southampton 25.9 
			 South Tyneside 31.5 
			 Staffordshire 18.0 
			 Stoke 16.0 
			 Sunderland 25.9 
			 Surrey 73.9 
			 Wakefield 16.2 
			 Walsall 18.6 
			 West Sussex 78.2 
			 Birmingham HM 625.2 
			 Portsmouth HM 121.0 
			 (1) All figures given are PFI credits, which are allocated to projects when they become operational and are paid over the lifetime of the project (usually 25 years)

Transport: Finance

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government on the possibility of using tax increment financing to fund regional transport infrastructure projects.

Norman Baker: This is a matter for the Treasury. The Local Government Resource Review is assessing the implications of using tax increment financing and developing options for taking it forward through legislation.

Transport: Snow and Ice

Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  whether he has had discussions with international counterparts on appropriate measures for dealing with ice and snow;
	(2)  what discussions he has had with the  (a) Scottish Executive and  (b) Welsh Assembly Government on travel issues resulting from the recent severe weather conditions; and if he will make a statement.

Norman Baker: My right hon. Friend, the Transport Secretary, spoke to Scotland's Minister for Transport and Infrastructure and to the Deputy First Minister in the Welsh Assembly Government during the recent period of severe weather. He also had frequent discussions with Ministers and officials from the devolved Administrations-as well as other Government Departments-as part of the many Winter Resilience Network Meetings. These meetings took place at ministerial and official level, to monitor preparedness for severe weather, review actions taken to date, share information and assess contingency plans.
	He has had no discussions on winter resilience issues with international counterparts during this period but has been kept informed by officials of the impact of the severe weather on transport networks on the European mainland.

Trust Ports: Finance

Charlie Elphicke: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much trust ports have borrowed in the last three fiscal years.

Michael Penning: In the Department for Transport's capital departmental expenditure limit, the relevant items that score each financial year are the sum total of new borrowings by the major trust ports in England and Wales offset against any capital repayments they made during the same year. The net borrowing levels of the major trust ports for the last three financial years were:
	
		
			   £ million 
			 2007-08 14.8 
			 2008-09 1.7 
			 2009-10 (1)-2.1 
			 (1) A net repayment

PRIME MINISTER

Departmental Public Appointments

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Prime Minister 
	(1)  how many  (a) women and  (b) men he has appointed to public duties since May 2010;
	(2)  what public appointments he has made since his appointment; and to what payments each person so appointed is entitled.

David Cameron: Information on the public appointments I have made since taking office is published in individual press notices. These can be found on the No. 10 website at:
	http://www.number10.gov.uk/news/press-notices
	Information on the gender of those serving on the boards of public bodies is published annually. Information for 2010-11 will be published in due course.

Local Government: Visits

Jon Trickett: To ask the Prime Minister which local authority  (a) leaders and  (b) councillors have been invited to 10 Downing street since May 2010.

David Cameron: A wide range of organisations and individuals are invited to No. 10 Downing street. A list of official meetings by Ministers with external organisations is published quarterly. Information on official and charity receptions held at No. 10 Downing street is published by means of an annual list as soon as it is ready at the end of the financial year.

Members: Correspondence

David Winnick: To ask the Prime Minister if he will take steps to ensure Ministers respond to correspondence on official matters from hon. Members within four weeks or less.

David Cameron: In November 2010, the Deputy Prime Minister and I wrote to all members of the Cabinet asking them to ensure that correspondence is responded to in a timely fashion. Our offices deal with all correspondence as efficiently as possible.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Administration

Matthew Offord: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether consideration of the memorandum of understanding between the Government and the devolved Administrations will form a part of his work on the West Lothian question.

Mark Harper: Careful consideration is ongoing as to the timing, composition, scope and remit of the Commission to consider the West Lothian question. Its work will need to take account of our proposals to reform the House of Lords to create a wholly or mainly elected second chamber, the changes being made to the way this House does business and amendments to the devolution regimes, for example in the Scotland Bill presently before the House. We will make an announcement later this year.

Elections: Operating Costs

Philip Davies: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what estimate he has made of the  (a) initial and  (b) operating costs associated with machine counting in elections; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Harper: The Government have made no assessment of the costs of machine counting in elections.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Animal Experiments: Cosmetics

Neil Parish: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions she has had with the European Commission on  (a) Directive 86/609/ECC and  (b) the use of animal-testing for cosmetic products.

James Paice: DEFRA has had no such recent discussions. The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has responsibility for animal testing for cosmetic products.

Forestry Commission: Land

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her policy is on the legal protection of rights of way over permissive or concessional paths and tracks on land leased or managed by the Forestry Commission which may be sold over the comprehensive spending review period.

James Paice: The Government's policy is to protect the public benefits that are currently provided by the public forest estate. Our consultation on the future ownership and management of the public forest estate sets out and invites views on our proposals for protecting public benefits. The case for creating legal protection for permissive or concessional paths and tracks will be considered as part of the consultation. For sales that are completed before the consultation is concluded, the protection of public benefits will be a key factor in both the criteria for site selection and there will be an opportunity for the voluntary sector or public bodies to identify areas of land in which they have a particular interest in order to safeguard or enhance public benefits.

EDUCATION

Adoption

Damian Hinds: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what information his Department holds on trends in the number of potential adoptive parents over the last  (a) 12 months,  (b) 10 years and  (c) 20 years.

Tim Loughton: The Department does not collect the data requested.

Adoption

Damian Hinds: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 
	(1)  how many children aged between one year and five years old were adopted in  (a) 2010,  (b) 2000 and  (c) 1996;
	(2)  how many infants under 12 months were adopted in  (a) 2010,  (b) 2000 and  (c) 1996.

Tim Loughton: The number of infants under 12 months and the number of children aged between one year and five years old who were adopted in  (a) 2010,  (b) 2000 and  (c) 1996, is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Looked after children who were adopted during the year ending  31 March, by age( 1, 2, 3, 4)  Years endi ng 31 March 1996, 2000 and 2010,  Coverage: England 
			  Number 
			  Age at adoption (years)  1996  2000  2010 
			 All children aged 5 or under 1,200 2,000 2,600 
			 Under 1 150 190 70 
			 1 to 5 1,000 1,800 2,500 
			 (1) Numbers have been rounded to the nearest 100 if they exceed 1,000, and to the nearest 10, otherwise. (2) Only the last occasion on which a child ceased to be looked after in the year has been counted. (3) Figures exclude children looked after under an agreed series of short term placements. (4) Historical data may differ from older publications. This is mainly due to the implementation of amendments and corrections sent by some local authorities after the publication date of previous materials.  Source: SSDA903

CAFCASS: Manpower

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many individuals the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service employs in offices in Wales.

Tim Loughton: holding answer 18 January 2011
	This Department does not hold the information which has been requested; the Welsh Assembly Government are responsible for the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service in Wales.

Education Maintenance Allowance

Teresa Pearce: To ask the Secretary of State for Education pursuant to the answer of 10 January 2011,  Official Report, column 80W, on the education maintenance allowance, what assessment he has made of the extent to which the students sampled for the National Foundation for Education Research Study was representative of the population of students in receipt of education maintenance allowance.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 17 January 2011
	The research, undertaken by the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) working in partnership with Triangle and QA Research, focused on the barriers to participation in post-16 education and training faced by young people.
	The research was based on a sample of 2,029 young people, who were chosen to be representative of young people aged 16 and 17, in terms of their gender and attainment, incidence of learning difficulty and/or disability (LDD) and destination in the September after leaving year 11. The research was undertaken across six local authorities, which were selected to be broadly representative (in terms of type, urban and rural and levels of deprivation). The survey was also supplemented with interviews with booster samples of: 303 young people with LDD; 102 parents of young people with LDD; 65 young people in a job without training (JWT) aged 16 or 17; 75 young people who were not in education, employment or training (NEET) aged 16 or 17; and 76 teenage parents aged 16-18.

Free School Meals: Suffolk

Therese Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many children in receipt of free school meals  (a) attend schools in Suffolk Coastal constituency and  (b) are resident in that constituency.

Nick Gibb: Information on free school meal eligibility is shown in the table.
	The answer includes full-time pupils aged 0 to 15 and part-time pupils aged five to 15 known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals.
	
		
			  Maintained nursery, primary( 1) , state-funded secondary( 1,2)  and special schools( 3) : school meal arrangements( 4,5) , Suffolk Coastal-January 2010 
			   Number on roll( 4,5)  Number of pupils known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals( 4,5)  Percentage known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals 
			  Pupils attending schools in Suffolk Coastal constituency
			 Maintained nursery and primary(1) 5,228 563 10.8 
			 State-funded secondary(1,2) 4,553 446 9.8 
			 Special(3) (6)- (6)- (6)- 
			 
			  Pupils resident( 7)  in Suffolk Coastal constituency
			 Maintained nursery and primary(1) 5,214 566 10.9 
			 State-funded secondary(1,2) 5,496 510 9.3 
			 Special(3) 80 23 28.8 
			 (1) Includes middle schools as deemed. (2) Includes city technology colleges and academies. (3) Includes maintained and non-maintained special schools, excludes general hospital schools. (4) Includes sole and dual (main) registrations. (5) Includes pupils who have full time attendance and are aged 15 or under, or pupils who have part time attendance and are aged between five and 15. (6) No schools of this type. (7) Based on pupils' postcode as reported in School Census.  Source: School Census

Pupils: Disadvantaged

Karen Lumley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many pupils in Redditch constituency he expects will receive the pupil premium in 2011-12.

Nick Gibb: The pupil premium for 2011-12 will be allocated to local authorities and schools with pupils that are known to be eligible for free school meals (FSM) as recorded on the January 2011 school census. Each pupil known to be eligible for free school meals will attract £430 of funding which will go to the school or academy if the pupil is in a mainstream setting or will be managed by the responsible local authority if the pupil is in a non-mainstream setting.
	The January 2010 school census allows an estimate of the number of pupils known to be eligible for FSM to be made. In the Redditch constituency in January 2010 there were approximately 1,760 pupils in Redditch schools known to be eligible (rounded to the nearest 10), which would give rise to a pupil premium of £756,800. However, these are estimates only and are not necessarily indicative of how the pupil premium will be distributed. The number of eligible pupils in 2011 could be higher or lower. The figures do not include the pupil premium for service children, which is paid at the lower rate of £200 per pupil, or for looked after children who attract their own premium, again set at £430 for 2011-12.

Religion: Education

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what plans he has for religious education in the proposed English Baccalaureate.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 21 January 2011
	For the purposes of the 2010 performance tables the humanities element of the English Baccalaureate measure was either history or geography. We have not included religious education (RE) as fulfilling the humanity requirement of the English Baccalaureate because it is already a compulsory subject. One of the intentions of the English Baccalaureate is to encourage wider take up of geography and history in addition to, rather than instead of, compulsory RE. However we recognise, as many schools do, the benefits that religious education can bring to pupils. This is why the teaching of RE remains compulsory throughout a pupil's schooling. Success in all subjects studied at GCSE will also continue to be recognised by other performance table measures, as it has in the past. We are open to arguments about how we can further improve the measures in the performance tables and will review the precise definition of the English Baccalaureate for the 2011 tables.

School Food Trust

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what representations he has received on the future of the School Food Trust since 14 October 2010.

Sarah Teather: Representations in the form of parliamentary questions and correspondence from an MP have been received concerning issues such as future funding and duties, and the future relationship between the Department and the School Food Trust.
	I refer the hon. Member to the replies given on 3 December 2010,  Official Report, column 1063W and 8 December 2010,  Official Report, columns 354-55W.
	In our responses to these representations, the government has set out the important role that the School Food Trust will play, as it continues to support schools in ensuring that all pupils benefit from a healthy and affordable school lunch.

Vocational Education: Hexham

Guy Opperman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education with reference to the Wolf Review of vocational education, what definition of vocational education he uses in respect of Hexham.

Nick Gibb: The Secretary of State for Education, my right hon. Friend the Member for Surrey Heath (Michael Gove), has asked Professor Alison Wolf to carry out a broad review of vocational education in England, including its organisation, funding and target audience and the principles which should underpin its content, structure and teaching methods.
	The scope of the review includes all education leading to vocational and vocationally-related qualifications for 14 to 19-year-olds; it does not include the national curriculum, GCSEs or A levels.

JUSTICE

Administration of Estates: Banks

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will bring forward proposals to  (a) limit the amount charged by banks for the administration of estates and  (b) ensure that those seeking to appoint a bank as an executor receive independent professional advice as to the likely costs of such actions.

Jonathan Djanogly: Under the law of England and Wales anyone may make a will without professional advice. The person making the will (the testator) usually specifies the people he or she wants to administer his or her estate (the executors). It is for the testator to choose his or her executors. Banks appointed as executors cannot charge for their services unless and to the extent that they are authorised to do so by the testator in the will, by the court or by statute. There are no plans to change the law in this area.
	Nonetheless, the Government acknowledge that making a will is an important act with significant consequences, which should be properly understood by the testator. To help individuals understand the effects of making a will, the Government provide information on a number of websites. Information may also be obtained from other sources. For example, last year, the Office of Fair Trading published advice for consumers on making wills and appointing executors. This advice, available on the Consumer Direct website, helps consumers understand the options available to them and enables them to make an informed choice.

Appeals

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what his policy is for future funding from the public purse for  (a) initial appearance,  (b) appeals to employment tribunals and  (c) subsequent appeals to (i) the Court of Appeal, (ii) the Supreme Court and (iii) European courts.

Jonathan Djanogly: The Ministry of Justice consultation "Proposals for the Reform of Legal Aid in England and Wales", which was published on 15 November, proposes that all employment cases which do not arise from allegations of unlawful discrimination should be removed from the scope of the legal aid scheme. Unlawful discrimination claims in employment cases that are currently within scope would remain within scope.

Compensation Orders

Ian Lavery: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many individuals convicted of a crime did not adhere to the terms of a compensation order in each region in each of the last five years.

Jonathan Djanogly: It is not possible to supply information as to the number of offenders who did not adhere to the terms of their compensation order, without it being at a disproportionate cost. This is because the statistics held on payment and collection of financial penalties does not differentiate compensation from other financial penalties on court systems.

Compensation Orders

Ian Lavery: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many victims of crime in each region were awarded compensation by the courts and have not received the payments stipulated in the terms of the compensation order in each of the last five years.

Jonathan Djanogly: It is not possible to supply information as to the number of victims of crime that have not received the payments stipulated in the terms of the compensation order without it being done so at a disproportionate cost. This is because the statistics held on payment and collection of financial penalties does not differentiate compensation payments made from other financial penalties on court systems.

Compensation Orders

Ian Lavery: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many victims of crime were awarded compensation by the courts in each region in each of the last five years.

Jonathan Djanogly: Information is not held as to the exact number of victims of crime that were awarded compensation by the courts. However, the number of offenders ordered by the courts to pay compensation in each of the last five years is as follows:
	
		
			  Offenders ordered to pay compensation, by region 2005-09 
			   2005  2006  2007  2008  2009 
			 London 26,452 27,267 29,682 31,401 33,180 
			 North-west 18,103 20,209 26,052 24,014 21,784 
			 North-east 18,545 18,456 24,095 27,098 20,788 
			 Midlands 21,689 22,278 28,294 30,670 22,387 
			 South-east 31,999 34,757 36,876 37,371 38,246 
			 South-west 9,164 8,779 13,693 13,429 9,554 
			 Wales 5,735 5,700 7,182 7,266 6,552 
			 England and Wales 131,687 137,446 165,874 171,249 152,491 
			  Note: The figures are taken from sentencing statistics which are based on police force regions, which have been approximated into HMCS regions.

Convictions: Drugs

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what proportion of those convicted of drug-related offences in  (a) 2007,  (b) 2008 and  (c) 2009 had a previous conviction for a non-drug-related offence.

Crispin Blunt: The following table shows the proportion of those offenders convicted of drug offences in 2007-09 who had previously been convicted for a non-drug offence.
	
		
			  Table 1: Percentage of offenders convicted for drug offences who had previous convictions for non-drug offences in 2007-09 
			  Year of sentence  Percentage 
			 2007 78.1 
			 2008 78.0 
			 2009 78.7 
		
	
	These figures have been derived from the data used for table 6.1 of "Sentencing Statistics" which was published by the Ministry of Justice on 21 October 2010. The figures are based on offences of drug possession, supply, production or import/export of drugs. Previous criminal history counts are based on all non-drug offences. The Ministry of Justice is unable to identify offences which may be drug-related but are not specifically drug offences.
	These figures have been drawn from the police's administrative IT system, the police national computer, which, as with any large scale recording system, is subject to possible errors with data entry and processing. The figures are provisional and subject to change as more information is recorded by the police.

Convictions: Drugs

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what proportion of those convicted of drug-related crimes in  (a) 2004,  (b) 2005 and  (c) 2006 had previous convictions for drug-related offences.

Crispin Blunt: The following table shows the proportion of those offenders convicted of drug offences in 2004-06 who had previously been convicted for drug offences.
	
		
			  Table 1: Percentage of offenders convicted for drug offences who h ad previous convictions for  d rug offences in 2004 -0 6 
			  Year of sentence  Percentage 
			 2004 49.0 
			 2005 49.0 
			 2006 50.4 
		
	
	These figures have been derived from the data used for table 6.1 of "Sentencing Statistics" which was published by the Ministry of Justice on 21 October 2010. The figures are based on offences of drug possession, supply, production or import/export of drugs. The Ministry of Justice is unable to identify offences which may be drug-related but are not specifically drug offences.
	These figures have been drawn from the police's administrative IT system, the police national computer, which, as with any large scale recording system, is subject to possible errors with data entry and processing. The figures are provisional and subject to change as more information is recorded by the police.

County Court Possession Duty Scheme

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what his policy is on the future of the county court possession duty scheme.

Jonathan Djanogly: The Legal Services Commission (LSC) has recently undergone a tender process to award three year contracts for housing possession court duty schemes across England and Wales. As a result of this tender process the LSC now funds housing possession court duty schemes in 133 courts. The Government are currently consulting on legal aid reforms, but the consultation proposes that housing repossession cases will remain within scope.

Courts

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 18 January 2011,  Official Report, columns 679-80W, on courts, what the cost of the virtual court in each category of expenditure has been to date.

Jonathan Djanogly: The cost of the virtual courts from March 2009 to date in respect of pilot and trial operation is £5.290 million which is categorised as follows: Set up costs £1.8 million; technology running costs £1.896 million; non-technology running costs £1.587 million and legal aid costs £7,000. Additionally operational staff assigned to the processing of virtual court cases equates to a cost of £0.735 million

Custodial Treatment

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what proportion of offenders serving custodial sentences have previously  (a) been found guilty of at least one criminal offence and  (b) served at least one custodial sentence.

Crispin Blunt: Of the offenders serving an immediate custodial sentence at 30 June 2009 84% had previously been convicted of at least one offence and 61% had previously served at least one custodial sentence. These figures are a further breakdown of table 7.32 in "Offender Management Caseload Statistics 2009" which was published on 22 July 2010.
	These figures have been drawn from the police's administrative IT system, the police national computer, which, as with any large scale recording system, is subject to possible errors with data entry and processing. The figures are provisional and subject to change as more information is recorded by the police.

Custodial Treatment: Expenditure

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what his most recent estimate is of the cost to the public purse of providing a prison place for a custodial offender for 12 months; and if he will make a statement.

Crispin Blunt: For 2008-09 (latest period available) the overall average resource cost per prisoner and per prison place is as follows:
	Average Resource cost per prisoner-£41,000
	Average Resource cost per prison place-£45,000
	 Note:
	Figures rounded to nearest £1,000.
	The overall average cost comprises the direct local establishment costs of public and private prisons (as recorded in the National Offender Management Service (NOMS) Agency 2008-09 Annual Report and Accounts), increased by an apportionment of relevant costs borne centrally and in the regions by NOMS. This involves some estimation. The figures do not include the cost of prisoners held in police or court cells under Operation Safeguard, nor expenditure met by other Government Departments (e.g. Health and Education). The prisoner escort service costs are included. Expenditure recharged to the Youth Justice Board in respect of young people is included.
	Cost per prison place is expressed in terms of the Baseline Certified Normal Accommodation number of places; this gives a higher unit cost than the cost per prisoner.

Departmental Public Consultation

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what recent steps his Department has taken to reduce its carbon emissions to meet the target of reducing central Government carbon emissions by 10 per cent. by June 2011.

Crispin Blunt: The steps the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) is taking to meet its target of reducing carbon emissions from the office estate by 10% by May 2011 are published on the internet and can be seen at:
	http://data.gov.uk/departmental-performance-co2-emissions-reduction-date
	in the attachment titled: "10 percent reduction pack for online publication Nov update-pub Jan v3.pdf." page 15 refers.
	MoJ is implementing a number of initiatives with relatively short pay back times e.g. installing timer switches, thermostatic controls, monitoring and targeting offices with high energy consumption. More capital-intensive measures include: putting in voltage optimisation kit, installing new energy efficient boilers and chillers and ensuring that plant is kept in optimum working condition.

Dogs: Animal Breeding

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many  (a) males and  (b) females (i) of each age group and (ii) in each police authority area have been (A) prosecuted and (B) convicted under each offence created by the Breeding and Sale of Dogs (Welfare) Act 1999 in each year since its enactment;
	(2)  what the average  (a) fine and  (b) period of imprisonment is in respect of each offence created by the Breeding and Sale of Dogs (Welfare) Act 1999.

Crispin Blunt: The number of males and females proceeded against at magistrates courts and found guilty at all courts by age group in England and Wales for offences under the Breeding and Sale of Dogs (Welfare) Act 1999 since commencement are shown in the following table.
	There were no cases in which an immediate custodial sentence was given following a conviction for these offences. The fine amount has been provided in each of the two sentenced cases.
	Data for 2010 are planned for publication in the spring of 2011.
	
		
			  Number of males and females proceeded against at magistrates' courts, found guilty and sentenced at all courts for offences under the Breeding and Sale of Dogs (Welfare) Act 1999, England and Wales 2004, 2008 and 2009( 1,2,3) 
			   2004  2008  2009  Sentence outcome 
			   Proceeded against  Found guilty  Proceeded against  Found guilty  Proceeded against  Found guilty  Sentenced  Fine  Fine amount (£) 
			 Offences under sections 8 and 9(1)(4)  
			  Male  
			 18 and over  
			 Humberside - - - - 1 1 1 1 800 
			 Total - - - - 1 1 1 1 800 
			   
			  Female  
			 18 and over  
			 Essex - - - - 1 1 1 1 750 
			 Total - - - - 1 1 1 1 750 
			   
			 Offences under sections 9(6) and (7)(5)  
			  Male  
			 18 and over  
			 Hampshire - - 1 - - - - - - 
			 Metropolitan 1 - 1 - - - - - - 
			 Total 1 - 2 - - - - - - 
			 (1 )The figures given in the table on court proceedings relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (3) Excludes data for Cardiff magistrates court for April, July, and August 2008. (4) Includes following offences: Licensed dog breeder selling dog otherwise than at a licensed breeding establishment/pet shop Licensed dog breeder selling dog other than to licensed pet shop knowing/believing buyer intending to resale Licensed dog breeder selling dog not born at licensed breeding establishment to keeper of licensed pet shop Keeper of licensed breeding establishment sold dog to keeper of licensed pet shop dog not wearing collar with ID Keeper of licensed breeding establishment sold dog under eight weeks old other than to keeper of licensed pet shop (5) Includes following offences: Having custody of a dog in contravention of an order made under section 9(2)(c) Failed to comply with a requirement imposed under Section 9(4) and (5)  Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services in the Ministry of Justice  Note: Only those years are shown where data have been reported. Rows with nil data have been excluded from the table.

Driving Offences: West Yorkshire

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many people resident in West Yorkshire have been convicted of causing death by dangerous driving in each year since 2007;
	(2)  how many people resident in West Yorkshire have been convicted of driving whilst under the influence of alcohol over the last five years.

Crispin Blunt: The following table shows the number of defendants found guilty at all courts for causing death by dangerous driving and driving while under the influence of alcohol and drugs in the West Yorkshire police force area, from 2005 to 2009 (latest available). Data available centrally do not identify the place of residence of those convicted of an offence.
	Court proceedings data are not available at parliamentary constituency level. Thus data are given in the table for the West Yorkshire police force area in which the West Yorkshire constituency is situated.
	Data for 2010 are planned for publication in the spring of 2011.
	
		
			  Number of defendants found guilty at all courts for causing death by dangerous driving( 1)  and driving while under the influence of drink and drugs( 2)  in West Yorkshire police force area, 2005-09( 3,4) 
			  Police force area  2005  2006  2007  2008  2009 
			 Causing death by dangerous driving 18 13 9 13 11 
			 Driving after consuming alcohol or taking drugs 3,495 3,266 3,131 2,824 2,666 
			 (1) Causing death by dangerous driving-Road Traffic Act 1988 s.1 as amended by the Road Traffic Act 1991 s.1 and Criminal Justice Act 1993 s.67. (2) Driving after consuming alcohol or taking drugs-Road Traffic Act 1988-s.4(1), s.5(1)(a), s.7(6), s.4(2), s.5(1)(b), s.7(6), s.6(4), s.7A, s.56, s.31A, s.52, s.4(2), s.4(1), s.4(2). (3) The figures given in the table on court proceedings relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (4) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.  Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services-Ministry of Justice

Insurance

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what consideration he has given to bringing forward proposals to prohibit insurers from recommending or referring those involved in accidents to lawyers with whom the insurers have a commercial arrangement, including the payment by the lawyer to the insurer of a panel membership or referral fee; and what assessment he has made of the steps which would be required to make such activity an offence in law.

Jonathan Djanogly: Lord Justice Jackson recommended that the payment of referral fees should be banned in personal injury cases in his "Review of Civil Litigation Costs: Final Report", published in January 2010. The Government are currently awaiting the response of the Legal Services Board to their recent consultation 'Referral fees, referral arrangements and fee sharing' before reaching a conclusion on the matter.

Interpretation and Translation Services

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 15 September 2010,  Official Report, columns 46-47WS, on interpretation and translation services (justice sector), 
	(1)  what steps he plans to take to maintain the quality of translation and interpretation services for defendants under his proposals;
	(2)  what progress has been made on the procurement of translation and interpretation services for defendants under his proposals;
	(3)  what estimate he has made of the likely cost saving to his Department of implementation of the proposed changes in each of the next three years;
	(4)  whether he has consulted  (a) the National Register of Public Service Interpreters and  (b) the National Register of Communication Professionals working with Deaf and Deafblind people on the proposed changes to procurement of translation and interpretation services for defendants;
	(5)  what qualifications translators and interpreters for defendants will be required to hold under his proposals;
	(6)  whether he consulted  (a) police forces,  (b) HM Courts Service,  (c) the National Offender Management Service and  (d) the Crown Prosecution Service on his proposed changes to procurement of translation and interpretation services for defendants.

Crispin Blunt: The project to review the provision of interpretation and translation services was begun under the previous administration which, like the present Government, recognised that there was room for improvement in the existing arrangements.
	My officials are now in the final stages of a competitive dialogue procurement process with shortlisted bidders. When the process is at an end Ministers will make a decision whether or not to let a framework arrangement.
	We have made it clear throughout that quality must be maintained. Any framework arrangement would specify quality standards. Key performance indicators would be used to ensure that a supplier met their contractual obligations. The qualifications to be required of interpreters and translators are currently being finalised.
	Annual spend on interpretation and translation services across the criminal and civil justice sectors is estimated to be around £60million. If we were to let a framework arrangement we would hope to see savings of at least 10%.
	Last summer my officials wrote to a wide range of stakeholders including the National Register of Public Service Interpreters and also Signature (who administer the National Register of Communication Professionals working with deaf and deafblind people) to inform them of our plans and to seek their comments.
	This work is being taken forward by a project board which includes representatives of the Association of Chief Police Officers, the National Policing Improvement Agency, HM Court Service, the Tribunal Service, the Crown Prosecution Service and the National Offender Management Service.

Judges: Public Appointments

Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what plans his Department has to ensure that the judicial appointments process is  (a) cost-effective and  (b) efficient.

Kenneth Clarke: The Ministry of Justice has completed an end-to-end review of the judicial appointments process, conducted in close consultation with the Lord Chief Justice. I shared the outcomes of the review in a letter to the House of Lords Constitution Committee on 4 January 2011. The review concluded that the Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC) should seek to reduce costs by making organisational changes and streamlining its processes.
	Efficiency across the end-to-end process is to be achieved through closer working between all parties involved in the process (the Ministry of Justice, the JAC, the Judicial Office, the courts and tribunals) to remove administrative constraints and duplication.

Legal Aid

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what progress has been made on implementing those recommendations of the Review by Lord Carter of Coles on legal aid procurement which the Government has accepted.

Jonathan Djanogly: The previous Government implemented many of the recommendations made in Lord Carter's 2006 report, including new or revised fixed and graduated fee schemes across criminal and civil legal aid. The remaining family fee scheme changes, delayed following judicial review proceedings in 2010, will be introduced as soon as possible this year.
	Lord Carter also recommended a move towards competitive tendering for legal aid contracts, and it is our intention to consult on detailed proposals for the competitive tendering of criminal legal aid contracts later this year. In the longer term, we also intend to introduce competition in civil and family legal aid services.

Legal Aid: Homelessness

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what his policy is on the provision of legal aid to appellants against local authority refusals of applications for housing of homeless persons.

Jonathan Djanogly: The legal aid scheme currently funds advice and assistance, and legal representation, for those who are homeless or threatened with homelessness and are seeking accommodation from the local authority under their statutory obligations.
	On 15 November, the Justice Secretary announced the publication of a consultation on a package of proposals for the reform of legal aid. Under the proposals, cases about actual homelessness or in which the home is at immediate risk will remain within the scope of the civil legal aid scheme. This includes applications for homelessness assistance where the claimant is seeking accommodation from the local authority under their statutory obligations under part VII of the Housing Act 1996, for a review of a decision under that part pursuant to section 202 of the Housing Act 1996, and appeals to the county court on a point of law under section 204, or under section 204A of that Act.
	The consultation paper: "Proposals for the Reform of Legal Aid in England and Wales" is available at the Ministry of Justice website at:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/consultations/legal-aid-reform-151110.htm

Legal Costs

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether he plans to bring forward proposals for  (a) primary and  (b) secondary legislation in respect of the reforms set out in his Department's Green Paper on  (a) legal aid reform and  (b) reform of civil litigation funding.

Jonathan Djanogly: We have already announced our intention to abolish the Legal Services Commission as soon as the parliamentary timetable allows. The proposals on legal aid reform and civil litigation funding reforms are currently subject to consultations that close on 14 February. Once these consultations have concluded and responses have been analysed, the Government will publish their finalised proposals for reform of legal aid and civil litigation funding, including details of any legislation that will be required.

Legal Costs

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether he took account of recommendations of the Eleventh Report of the Joint Committee on Human Rights, Session 2009-10, on human rights and the UK private sector in his review of civil litigation costs.

Jonathan Djanogly: In taking forward Lord Justice Jackson's recommendations from his "Review of Civil Litigation Costs", the Government considered a wide variety of issues, including the recommendation of the Joint Committee on Human Rights. We are currently consulting on implementing a package of proposals for reforming civil litigation funding and costs put forward by Lord Justice Jackson. The consultation closes on Monday 14 February 2011, and the Government will publish a response setting out the next steps in due course.

Life Imprisonment

Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what his policy is on the availability of indeterminate sentences for offenders who pose a serious threat to public safety.

Crispin Blunt: We are conducting an assessment of sentencing to ensure that it is effective in deterring crime, protecting the public, punishing offenders and cutting reoffending. On 7 December 2010 we published proposals in the Green Paper, "Breaking the Cycle: effective punishment, rehabilitation and sentencing of offenders", for public consultation. These proposals included the reform of sentences of Imprisonment for Public Protection.
	We propose to restrict these sentences to those who merit a minimum term of at least five years in prison. This will capture very serious sexual and violent offenders. It is proposed that violent and sexual offenders who do not meet the new threshold will be able to receive a long determinate sentence or in appropriate cases an extended sentence (where the offender remains under supervision for an extended period after release). These proposals have been published on the Ministry of Justice website at:
	www.justice.gov.uk

Offenders: Drugs

Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many people aged  (a) under 18,  (b) between 18 and 24,  (c) between 24 and 30 and  (d) 30 and above received custodial sentences for (i) possession and (ii) supply of cannabis in each of the last 10 years;
	(2)  how many people  (a) under the age of 18,  (b) between 18 and 24,  (c) between 24 and 30 and  (d) 30 and above were (i) reprimanded, (ii) warned and (iii) charged for possession or supply of cannabis in each of the last 10 years.

Crispin Blunt: The number of offenders cautioned (which include reprimands and warnings) and the number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts and found guilty and sentenced at all courts for possession or supply of cannabis by age group in England and Wales, 2000 to 2009 (latest available) are in Tables 1 to 3 as follows.
	Charging data are not held centrally, proceedings data have been provided in lieu.
	Data for 2010 are planned for publication in the spring of 2011.
	
		
			  Table 1: Offenders issued with a reprimand, warning, or caution( 1, 2 ) and persons proceeded against at magistrates courts, found guilty and sentenced at all courts, for possession of cannabis( 3, 4) , by age group, 2000-09( 5, 6, 7) 
			  Number 
			   2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007  2008( 8)  2009 
			  Aged 10 to 17   
			 Reprimand/warning 7,017 7,618 8,671 8,654 6,975 6,557 5,847 6,707 7,165 6,344 
			 Proceeded against 3,178 3,747 4,426 4,599 3,391 3,302 3,311 3,935 4,825 5,029 
			 Found guilty 2,810 3,220 3,833 4,087 3,084 3,063 3,062 3,685 4,553 4,708 
			 Sentenced 2,808 3,221 3,833 4,087 3,084 3,062 3,062 3,685 4,552 4,707 
			  Of which:   
			 Immediate custody 23 26 14 28 21 17 11 7 4 12 
			 Other sentences 2,785 3,195 3,819 4,059 3,063 3,045 3,051 3,678 4,548 4,695 
			
			  Aged 18 to 24   
			 Cautioned 16,353 15,086 17,247 17,308 8,438 8,373 8,061 7,893 8,421 7,446 
			 Proceeded against 9,536 9,701 11,322 12,036 5,682 4,921 5,187 5,860 7,357 9,060 
			 Found guilty 8,882 8,952 10,419 11,217 5,135 4,577 4,859 5,635 7,072 8,737 
			 Sentenced 8,902 8,908 10,413 11,180 5,120 4,551 4,818 5,610 7,048 8,648 
			  Of which:   
			 Immediate custody 140 112 98 108 46 56 57 63 122 145 
			 Other sentences 8,762 8,796 10,315 11,072 5,074 4,495 4,761 5,547 6,926 8,503 
			
			  Aged 25 to 30   
			 Cautioned 4,772 4,413 5,251 5,000 2,650 2,764 2,794 2,877 3,154 2,949 
			 Proceeded against 4,484 4,196 4,449 4,718 2,316 2,037 2,117 2,240 2,979 3,976 
			 Found guilty 4,220 3,886 4,062 4,392 2,146 1,879 1,981 2,118 2,873 3,828 
			 Sentenced 4,247 3,892 4,052 4,392 2,143 1,873 1,969 2,099 2,865 3,805 
			  Of which:   
			 Immediate custody 80 64 46 54 39 24 29 35 47 86 
			 Other sentences 4,167 3,828 4,006 4,338 2,104 1,849 1,940 2,064 2,818 3,719 
			
			  Aged 31 and over   
			 Cautioned 4,757 4,680 5,762 6,164 3,293 3,423 3,668 3,770 4,083 3,870 
			 Proceeded against 5,105 5,061 5,779 6,518 3,257 2,780 2,835 2,789 3,541 4,361 
			 Found guilty 4,813 4,694 5,341 6,018 2,955 2,576 2,634 2,635 3,357 4,167 
			 Sentenced 4,842 4,715 5,329 6,006 2,955 2,564 2,603 2,610 3,366 4,124 
			  Of which:   
			 Immediate custody 118 88 83 98 55 39 44 57 74 77 
			 Other sentences 4,724 4,627 5,246 5,908 2,900 2,525 2,559 2,553 3,292 4,047 
			
			
			  All ages   
			 Cautioned 32,899 31,797 36,931 37,126 21,356 21,117 20,370 21,247 22,823 20,609 
			 Proceeded against 22,303 22,705 25,976 27,871 14,646 13,040 13,450 14,824 18,702 22,426 
			 Found guilty 20,725 20,752 23,655 25,714 13,320 12,095 12,536 14,073 17,855 21,440 
			 Sentenced 20,799 20,736 23,627 25,665 13,302 12,050 12,452 14,004 17,831 21,284 
			  Of which:   
			 Immediate custody 361 290 241 288 161 136 141 162 247 320 
			 Other sentences 20,438 20,446 23,386 25,377 13,141 11,914 12,311 13,842 17,584 20,964 
			 (1) From 1 June 2000 the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 came into force nationally and removed the use of cautions for persons under 18 and replaced them with reprimands and warnings.  (2 )The cautions statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When an offender has been cautioned for two or more offences at the same time the principal offence is the more serious offence.  (3) Cannabis was classified as a class B drug to January 2004 when it was reclassified as a class C drug. It was then subsequently reclassified as class B from January 2009.  (4) Statutes and corresponding offence descriptions used: Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 s.5(2) as amended by Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 (Amendment) Order 2008 Having possession of a controlled drug-Cannabis and cannabis resin; Cannabinol; Cannabinol derivatives Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 s.5(2) Having possession of a controlled drug-Cannabis or cannabis resin.  (5) The figures given in the table on court proceedings relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe.  (6) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.  (7) The sentenced column may exceed those found guilty as it may be the case that a defendant found guilty, and committed for sentence at the Crown court, may be sentenced in the following year.  (8) Excludes data for Cardiff magistrates court for April, July and August 2008.   Source:  Justice Statistics Analytical Services-Ministry of Justice. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Offenders issued with a reprimand, warning, or caution( 1, 2 ) and persons p roceeded against at magistrates  courts, found guilty and sentenced at all courts for possession with intent to supply cannabis( 3, 4 ) by age group, 2000-09( 5, 6, 7) 
			  Number 
			   2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007  2008( 8)  2009 
			  Aged 10 to 17   
			 Reprimand/warning 106 126 148 154 118 138 140 110 86 67 
			 Proceeded against 160 179 197 194 158 175 141 159 194 163 
			 Found guilty 124 122 146 144 132 132 117 128 167 134 
			 Sentenced 124 122 146 144 131 130 118 127 166 132 
			  Of which:   
			 Immediate custody 16 13 12 5 9 9 10 8 11 5 
			 Other sentences 108 109 134 139 122 121 108 119 155 127 
			
			  Aged 18 to 24   
			 Cautioned 106 93 89 127 157 234 212 204 122 93 
			 Proceeded against 764 639 738 841 636 694 663 695 850 972 
			 Found guilty 625 495 527 585 503 427 399 391 544 659 
			 Sentenced 635 508 519 573 485 390 377 354 497 668 
			  Of which:   
			 Immediate custody 219 186 152 163 163 96 79 85 101 151 
			 Other sentences 416 322 367 410 322 294 298 269 396 517 
			
			  Aged 25 to 30   
			 Cautioned 30 26 34 23 40 51 58 43 41 33 
			 Proceeded against 456 354 303 347 253 262 294 270 375 447 
			 Found guilty 416 258 266 253 205 170 168 163 231 279 
			 Sentenced 435 265 267 254 195 172 148 161 211 266 
			  Of which:   
			 Immediate custody 219 138 135 105 74 62 53 53 63 86 
			 Other sentences 216 127 132 149 121 110 95 108 148 180 
			
			  Aged 31 and over   
			 Cautioned 33 40 39 41 69 59 80 66 41 39 
			 Proceeded against 814 627 549 668 478 457 496 490 577 638 
			 Found guilty 662 483 449 488 407 264 273 276 299 381 
			 Sentenced 678 506 451 491 399 258 241 268 268 377 
			  Of which:   
			 Immediate custody 354 281 248 202 174 105 98 86 88 151 
			 Other sentences 324 225 203 289 225 153 143 182 180 226 
			
			  All ages   
			 Cautioned 275 285 310 345 384 482 490 423 290 232 
			 Proceeded against 2,194 1,799 1,787 2,050 1,525 1,588 1,594 1,614 1,996 2,220 
			 Found guilty 1,827 1,358 1,388 1,470 1,247 993 957 958 1,241 1,453 
			 Sentenced 1,872 1,401 1,383 1,462 1,210 950 884 910 1,142 1,443 
			 Of which:   
			 Immediate custody 808 618 547 475 420 272 240 232 263 393 
			 Other sentences 1,064 783 836 987 790 678 644 678 879 1,050 
			 (1) From 1 June 2000 the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 came into force nationally and removed the use of cautions for persons under 18 and replaced them with reprimands and warnings.  (2) The cautions statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When an offender has been cautioned for two or more offences at the same time the principal offence is the more serious offence.  (3) Cannabis was classified as a class B drug to January 2004 when it was reclassified as a class C drug. It was then subsequently reclassified as class B from January 2009.  (4) Statutes and corresponding offence descriptions used: Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 s.5(3) as amended by Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 (Amendment) Order 2008 Having possession of a controlled drug with intent to supply-Cannabis and cannabis resin; Cannabinol; Cannabinol derivatives. Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 s.5(3) Having possession of a controlled drug with intent to supply-Cannabis or cannabis resin.  (5) The figures given in the table on court proceedings relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe.  (6) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.  (7) The sentenced column may exceed those found guilty as it may be the case that a defendant found guilty, and committed for sentence at the Crown court, may be sentenced in the following year.  (8) Excludes data for Cardiff magistrates court for April, July and August 2008.   Source:  Justice Statistics Analytical Services-Ministry of Justice. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 3: Offenders issued with a reprimand, warning, or caution( 1, 2 ) and persons proceeded against at Magistrates' courts, found guilty and sentenced at all courts for supply or offering to supply cannabis( 3, 4, ) by age group, 2000-09( 5, 6, 7) 
			  Number 
			   2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007  2008( 8)  2009 
			  Aged 10 to 17   
			 Reprimand/warning 153 162 131 124 90 77 58 47 40 35 
			 Proceeded against 84 84 85 81 66 64 50 58 54 40 
			 Found guilty 53 46 59 54 50 48 35 48 42 32 
			 Sentenced 52 46 59 54 50 49 35 49 42 32 
			  Of which:   
			 Immediate custody 8 2 2 4 3 2 1 2 4 1 
			 Other sentences 44 44 57 50 47 47 34 47 38 31 
			
			  Aged 18 to 24   
			 Cautioned 105 57 50 57 49 36 37 48 42 27 
			 Proceeded against 352 270 243 258 207 214 210 218 202 199 
			 Found guilty 290 235 192 183 166 151 138 160 145 158 
			 Sentenced 312 244 193 180 151 132 128 150 127 157 
			  Of which:   
			 Immediate custody 109 85 78 75 38 39 36 44 32 40 
			 Other sentences 203 159 115 105 113 93 92 106 95 117 
			
			  Aged 25 to 30   
			 Cautioned 20 21 10 22 13 14 11 14 8 19 
			 Proceeded against 220 148 167 111 115 76 123 112 107 109 
			 Found guilty 183 113 124 85 80 55 67 64 51 80 
			 Sentenced 192 110 124 88 78 55 55 63 48 82 
			  Of which:   
			 Immediate custody 94 49 54 39 36 26 16 17 20 30 
			 Other sentences 98 61 70 49 42 29 39 46 28 52 
			
			  Aged 31 and over   
			 Cautioned 36 20 25 22 19 26 25 21 23 16 
			 Proceeded against 345 292 263 290 229 234 239 166 198 147 
			 Found guilty 316 219 217 200 160 139 145 95 114 117 
			 Sentenced 314 223 222 192 165 131 134 92 117 121 
			  Of which:   
			 Immediate custody 194 129 124 104 79 68 48 38 48 65 
			 Other sentences 120 94 98 88 86 63 86 54 69 56 
			
			  All ages   
			 Cautioned 314 260 216 225 171 153 131 130 113 97 
			 Proceeded against 1,001 794 758 740 617 588 622 554 561 495 
			 Found guilty 842 613 592 522 456 393 385 367 352 387 
			 Sentenced 870 623 598 514 444 367 352 354 334 392 
			  Of which:   
			 Immediate custody 405 265 258 222 156 135 101 101 104 136 
			 Other sentences 465 358 340 292 288 232 251 253 230 256 
			 (1) From 1 June 2000 the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 came into force nationally and removed the use of cautions for persons under 18 and replaced them with reprimands and warnings.  (2) The cautions statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When an offender has been cautioned for two or more offences at the same time the principal offence is the more serious offence.  (3 )Cannabis was classified as a class B drug to January 2004 when it was reclassified as a class C drug. It was then subsequently reclassified as class B from January 2009.  (4) Statutes and corresponding offence descriptions used: Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 s.4(3) as amended by Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 (Amendment) Order 2008 Supplying or offering to supply a controlled drug (or being concerned in)-Cannabis and cannabis resin; Cannabinol; Cannabinol derivatives Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 s.4(3) Supplying or offering to supply a controlled drug (or being concerned in)-Cannabis and cannabis resin.  (5) The figures given in the table on court proceedings relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe.  (6) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.  (7) The sentenced column may exceed those found guilty as it may be the case that a defendant found guilty, and committed for sentence at the Crown court, may be sentenced in the following year.  (8) Excludes data for Cardiff magistrates court for April, July and August 2008.   Source:  Justice Statistics Analytical Services-Ministry of Justice.

Offenders: Incentives and Earned Privilege Scheme

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what  (a) earnable privileges,  (b) in-cell equipment,  (c) locally-available privileges and  (d) other privileges are available at each level of each local Incentive and Earned Privilege scheme in each prison.

Crispin Blunt: The information requested is not held centrally and could be obtained by contacting individual prison establishments only at disproportionate cost.
	The national policy framework set out in Prison Service Order (PSO) 4000 Incentives Earned Privileges (available in the Library of the House) gives prison governors authority to devise their own local scheme to meet the needs of the prison regime. Under the national framework, there are six key earnable privileges, which must be included in local IEP scheme when available. The key earnable privileges are: extra and improved visits, eligibility to earn higher rates of pay, access to in-cell television (paid for by the prisoner), opportunity to wear own clothes, access to private cash and time out of cell for association.

Offenders: Rehabilitation

Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will ensure that courts are able to use the extended sentence for public protection to guarantee an appropriate level of post-release supervision under his proposals for reform of indeterminate public protection sentences.

Crispin Blunt: We are conducting an assessment of sentencing to ensure that it is effective in deterring crime, protecting the public, punishing offenders and cutting reoffending. On 7 December 2010 we published proposals in the Green Paper, "Breaking the Cycle: effective punishment, rehabilitation and sentencing of offenders", for public consultation. These proposals included the reform of sentences of Imprisonment for Public Protection. They have been published on the Ministry of Justice website at:
	www.justice.gov.uk
	We propose to restrict these sentences to those who merit a minimum term of at least five years in prison. It is proposed that violent and sexual offenders who do not meet the new threshold will be able to receive a long determinate sentence or in appropriate cases an extended sentence (where the offender remains under supervision for an extended period after release). Additionally, there are court orders available to manage the risk of serious sexual and violent offenders whose risk was not considered high enough at the time of conviction for an indefinite sentence, but who appear to present a risk at the end of their sentence.

Offenders: Self-Harm

Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what steps his Department is taking to improve supervision for offenders at risk of self-harm.

Crispin Blunt: All prisons have a broad, integrated and evidence-based suicide prevention and self-harm management strategy that seeks to reduce the distress of all who live and work in prisons. The strategy encompasses a wide spectrum of prison and Department of Health work around such issues as mental health, drugs, resettlement, leadership and training. A prisoner-focused care planning system for those identified at risk, Assessment, Care in Custody and Teamwork (ACCT) has helped prisons to manage self-harm.
	NOMS has commissioned Oxford university to undertake research that will support our understanding of self-harm in prison. The study will look at some 140,000 recorded incidents of self-harm between 2004-09. The analysis will provide an evidence base to inform the development of more effective mechanisms for identifying, managing and reducing the risk of those prisoners who self-harm.

Prison Sentences

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 11 January 2011,  Official Report, column 279W, on prison sentences, for what offences the convicted individual who received a non-custodial sentence received the 578 previous convictions or cautions.

Crispin Blunt: Table 1 shows previous offences committed by the convicted individual who received a non-custodial sentence in 2009 and had 578 previous convictions or cautions. Over 180 of these previous convictions resulted in a custodial sentence.
	The figures are derived from the data used for table 6.2 of 'Sentencing Statistics: England and Wales 2009' which was published on 21 October 2010.
	
		
			  Table 1: Previous offences committed by the convicted individual who received a non-custodial sentence in 2009 and had 578 previous convictions or cautions 
			  Offence  Number 
			 Shoplifting and other theft 300 
			 Drunk and disorderly 131 
			 Public disorder 79 
			 Breach of antisocial behaviour order and breach of bail 18 
			 Criminal damage 14 
			 Assault 9 
			 Burglary, robbery, blackmail 8 
			 Weapon possession offences 4 
			 ABH 1 
			 Other (mainly failing to pay rail fare) 14 
			 Total 578 
		
	
	These figures relate to separate cautioning or sentencing occasions; where this offender was cautioned or sentenced on the same occasion for several offences it is the details of the primary offence that have been presented. The figures have been drawn from the police's administrative IT system, the police national computer, which, as with any large scale recording system, is subject to possible errors with data entry and processing. The figures are provisional and subject to change as more information is recorded by the police.

Prison Service: Hewlett-Packard

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 17 January 2011,  Official Report, columns 644-47W, on the Prison Service: Hewlett-Packard, how many  (a) printers,  (b) desktop and laptop computers  (c) desktop telephones,  (d) mobile telephones and  (e) pagers there are in each prison.

Crispin Blunt: The terms and conditions of the contract are commercially confidential. The contract expires in less than 18 months.

Prisoner Escapes

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many prisoners have absconded from  (a) the prison estate and  (b) prisons under private management since May 2010;
	(2)  how many escapes from  (a) all prisons and  (b) prisons under private management there have been since May 2010;

Crispin Blunt: The following table shows details of the number of escapes and absconds from prisons in England and Wales between 1 May 2010 and 31 December 2010.
	
		
			  Table 1: Escapes and absconds from 1 May 2010 and 31 December 2010, from (a) all prisons and (b) prisons under private management. 
			  Incident type  All prisons  Prisons under private management 
			 Escape 1 0 
			 Abscond 171 0 
		
	
	The following tables show the number of escapes and absconds from 1 April 2007, by financial year. Figures for 2009-10 are provisional and as yet unpublished.
	
		
			  Table 2: Escapes and absconds from 1 April 2007 to 31 March 2010, by financial year, from all prisons 
			  Incident type  2007-08  2008-09  2009-10 
			 Escapes 4 1 2 
			 Absconds 513 632 273 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 3: Escapes and absconds from 1 April 2007 to 31 March 2010, by financial year, from prisons under private management. 
			  Incident type  2007-08  2008-09  2009-10 
			 Escapes 0 0 0 
			 Absconds 0 0 0 
		
	
	Data for 2009-10 onwards are provisional figures that have been drawn from live administrative data systems which may be amended at any time. Although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large scale data recording system. Final data may vary from that shown above when formal and approved Ministry of Justice statistics are published.
	Escapes refers to key performance indicator escapes.

Prisoners' Release: Reoffenders

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will publish an assessment of the potential effects on re-offending rates of early release of offenders from prison.

Crispin Blunt: Most prisoners serving determinate sentences are released automatically at the halfway point of their sentence. Those who meet eligibility criteria may be released under home detention curfew.
	In 2010 the Ministry of Justice published statistics on proven reoffending for offenders released on Home Detention Curfew (HDC). In 2008-09 out of 11,417 offenders on HDC, 4.6% re-offended while on HDC.

Prisons: Sports

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what equipment was purchased for prison gymnasiums, sports halls and sports complexes in each prison in each year since 2007-08.

Crispin Blunt: The Ministry of Justice does hold limited data which can be provided relating to the purchase of gym equipment in prisons. Providing you with the information in the format requested would incur a disproportionate cost as locating and consolidating this information at local level would require significant resource within the timescales for submission. We are however able to provide limited information extracted from the MoJ Procurement Directorate.
	Since 2007 the NOMS HM Prison Service has contracted with three main suppliers of gym/sports equipment who are Newitts Ltd, Physique plc and Service Sport. Newitts product portfolio consists of mainly light sports equipment, such as rackets, bats, free weights and consumables etc. Physique and Service Sport product ranges mainly consist of gym machines and other light sports equipment. The HM Prison Service where possible purchases remanufactured/refurbished heavy gym equipment. Purchasing equipment is considered the most cost-effective method of procuring those types of goods and where it is possible the HM Prison Service will be continuing with purchasing remanufactured equipment, subject to availability. The MoJ is currently working in collaboration with the Ministry of Defence for the next generation supply framework contract where a collaborative approach will allow the MoJ and MOD to leverage its economies of scale in the market place. This activity is currently being advertised in the Official Journal of the European Union. The framework contract is due for completion in summer 2011.
	The net expenditure for those years is as follows:
	
		
			  £ 
			   Financial years 
			  Suppliers  2007-08  2008-09  2009-10  2010-11 
			 Physique 1,060,737 1,795,791 999,520 572,368 
			 Service Sport 516,425 1,290,650 1,397,739 993,464 
			 Newitts 414,753 612,102 541,205 347,915

Referral Fee Income

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what information his Department holds on the level of referral fee income obtained by insurers from lawyers  (a) sitting on panels and acting for insurers to defend claims and  (b) acting for those with claims as a result of road accidents who consult insurers under motor insurance and/or legal expenses policies.

Jonathan Djanogly: The Ministry of Justice does not hold the information sought. Chapter 20 of Lord Jackson's report, 'Review of Civil Litigation Costs', published on 14 January 2010, deals with the issue of referral fees and provides examples of fees paid.

Reoffenders: Community Orders

Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what assessment his Department has made of the rate of reoffending among people who have received community punishments at court in each of the last three years.

Crispin Blunt: The latest reconviction data provided are based on offences committed within one year of an offender commencing a court order under probation supervision.
	The following table shows the reconviction rates for offenders sentenced to a court order under probation supervision between January and March in 2006, 2007 and 2008.
	
		
			  Adult one-year re conviction rates for offenders commencing a court order in the last three years 
			  Court orders( 1)  Number of offenders  Reconviction rate (percentage) 
			 2006 Q1 35,917 35.4 
			 2007 Q1 37,275 36.1 
			 2008 Q1 37,619 36.1 
			 (1) Court orders include pre-CJA 2003 community sentences, new community orders and suspended sentence orders. 
		
	
	More information on the reconviction rates is available from the Ministry of Justice website.
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/reoffendingofadults.htm

Tribunals: Equal Pay

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many unsettled equal pay cases have remained in the employment tribunal system in the last  (a) 10,  (b) 20 and  (c) 30 years.

Jonathan Djanogly: The Ministry of Justice does not hold complete and reliable data for the financial years previous to 1999-2000. Historical information on the age of outstanding equal pay claims is not available. The live case load for claims which include the equal pay jurisdiction as at 31 December 2010 was 169,900.
	The following table gives details of the number of equal pay claims accepted (i.e. received or lodged) and the number that remain to be determined or otherwise disposed of (i.e. the outstanding or live case load).
	
		
			  Number of equal pay claims accepted and outstanding for financial year 1999-2000 to 2009-10 
			   Total EQP claims accepted  Total EQP claims outstanding 
			 1999-2000 4,700 68 
			 2000-01 17,200 5,500 
			 2001-02 8,800 750 
			 2002-03 5,100 250 
			 2003-04 4,400 590 
			 2004-05 8,200 1,200 
			 2005-06 17,300 5,900 
			 2006-07 44,000 30,500 
			 2007-08 62,700 35,700 
			 2008-09 45,700 34,000 
			 2009-10 37,400 32,200 
			 Total 255,500 -

Tribunals: Equal Pay

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many equal pay cases went to an employment tribunal in each year since 2000; and in how many such cases the complainant was successful.

Jonathan Djanogly: The following table shows the number of equal pay claims accepted by employment tribunals; and the number of them determined at a hearing where the claimant was successful. The table covers the financial year 2000-01 through to the last year for which we have complete and published information, 2009-10.
	
		
			  Equal Pay claims accepted and disposed of where the claimant was successful in financial year 2000-01 to 2009-10 
			   2000-01  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09  2009-10  Total 
			 Equal pay claims accepted 17,200 8,800 5,100 4,400 8,200 17,300 44,000 62,700 45,700 37,400 262,700 
			  Total disposals 1,600 3,700 1,700 2,200 3,900 11,300 7,900 9,500 20,100 20,100 - 
			 Claims heard by an employment tribunal 99 240 130 110 110 3,900 270 870 180 390 - 
			 Disposed not at tribunal 1,500 3,500 1,600 2,100 3,800 7,400 7,600 8,600 20,000 19,700 - 
			  Total successful disposals 18 160 59 58 20 3700 130 680 38 210 - 
			 At Tribunal 18 160 59 58 20 3700 130 680 36 200 - 
			 Default judgment - - - - - 0 5 5 2 9 - 
			  Notes: 1. Heard by tribunal: successful at tribunal; dismissed at preliminary hearing; unsuccessful at tribunal; and default judgment. 2. Disposed not at a tribunal: withdrawn; ACAS conciliated; and struck out (not at a hearing). 3. Default judgments were introduced in October 2004. 4. All figures are rounded independently and therefore may not add to totals.  Source: ET annual reports.

TREASURY

Banks: Northern Ireland

Margaret Ritchie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will hold discussions with representatives of the British Bankers' Association for the purposes of encouraging them to assist the social economy sector in Northern Ireland by establishing a funding mechanism; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Hoban: As the Chancellor stated to the House on 11 January 2011,  Official Report, columns 153-66, we are working with the banks to ensure that they make a greater contribution to regional economies and local communities across the UK. We will provide more detail to the House when the negotiations have been finalised.
	As part of the Government's response to the "Financing a Private Sector Recovery" Green Paper, the banks, through the British Bankers' Association Business Finance Taskforce, have committed to a number of actions that will aid local economies and communities. This includes providing enhanced data on lending at a regional level and the establishment of a £1.5 billion equity fund which will help provide finance to the SMEs that form a vital part of many local communities and economies. Further information on the taskforce can be found on the BBA's website:
	http://www.bba.org.uk/taskforce

Corporation Tax

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the monetary value was of corporation tax losses subject to group relief claims in  (a) 2007-08,  (b) 2008-09 and  (c) 2009-10.

David Gauke: The gross value of group and consortium relief claimed by UK companies (from UK companies) stood at £140 billion in 2007-08 and increased to £155 billion in 2008-09. Results are not yet available for 2009-10.
	Group and loss relief policies remain broadly unchanged since the inception of the CT regime in 1965. Group and loss relief are important elements of the corporation tax regime which ensures that companies with similar profits over their life cycle but different patterns of profits and losses over the years, pay broadly the same amounts of tax overall and recognises the economic reality that grouped companies are part of a wider whole. This is balanced, however, with the need for a pragmatic approach to protect tax revenues.

Departmental Carbon Emissions

Luciana Berger: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent steps his Department has taken to reduce its carbon emissions to meet the target of reducing central Government carbon emissions by 10 per cent. by June 2011.

Justine Greening: HM Treasury is committed to making its full contribution towards the Government's target to reduce central Government carbon emissions by 10% by May 2011. Real-time energy data for HM Treasury's headquarters building at 1 Horse Guards road has been displayed on the Treasury website:
	www.hm-treasury.gov.uk
	since July 2010. During 2010-11, HM Treasury has rationalised its IT infrastructure and reduced power consumption through a move to the use of laptop computers and the consolidation of office printers. It has also been completing the implementation of outstanding Carbon Trust recommendations, which will help deliver efficiency savings. Staff behaviour changes are also being encouraged through the active support of a Green Champions network throughout the organisation.

Departmental Manpower

Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 18 January 2011,  Official Report, column 752W, on departmental manpower, how many people were employed in his Department's Devolved Countries Unit in each year for which figures are available.

Danny Alexander: The Devolved Countries Unit was established in 2008. Staffing levels for the unit since its formation have varied between around five to seven members of staff.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Phillip Lee: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether his Department  (a) has undertaken and  (b) plans to undertake any studies on the effects of the Asset Management Period cycle on levels of employment within the water industry and its supply chain; and if he will make a statement.

Danny Alexander: holding answer 26 January 2011
	 As noted by the Under-Secretary of State for Natural Environment and Fisheries, the hon. Member for Newbury (Richard Benyon), the price setting process for the water sector is being looked at, both by the regulator Ofwat, and by the Government's review of Ofwat. Additionally, the Infrastructure UK cost study, available at:
	www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/d/cost_study_technicalnote211210.pdf
	examined the impact of investment certainty on infrastructure costs across all infrastructure sectors.
	Infrastructure UK is now working on how longer-term investment certainty can improve infrastructure delivery.

Economic and Monetary Union

William Cash: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 15 December 2010,  Official Report, column 786W, on the European Financial Stability Mechanism, if he will place in the Library a copy of the  (a) legal and  (b) other written advice received by Treasury Ministers on the application of the European Financial Stability Mechanism to the UK before the meeting of the European Committee at which the Financial Stabilisation Mechanism will be considered.

Mark Hoban: Treasury Ministers received advice on this issue, including legal advice, as part of the normal process of policy development.
	Policy development and information relating to recent policy announcements need a degree of freedom to enable the process to work effectively. The release of information so soon after discussions took place would result in less full and frank discussions in the future, harming the policy formulation and development process.

Excise Duties: Alcoholic Drinks

Dan Rogerson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has any plans to revise the alcohol fraud strategy published in 2009.

Justine Greening: The "Tackling Alcohol Fraud" strategy was implemented from 1 April 2010. An important element within the strategy is the ability to quickly adapt the operational response to combat any changes in fraud. There are therefore no plans to revise the strategy.

Financial Inclusion Fund

Ian Austin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has for the end of the Financial Inclusion Fund; and if he will make a statement.

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for West Worcestershire of 19 January 2011,  Official Report, column 836W, on the Financial Inclusion Fund, what funding he plans to make available after the closure of the Financial Inclusion Fund to ensure that financial exclusion continues to be tackled.

Mark Hoban: The Financial Inclusion Fund has always been due to close in March 2010. The Government have not yet taken a decision on the future of the projects currently funded from the Financial Inclusion Fund.
	The Government remain committed to helping poorer households to access appropriate financial services, to improve their financial resilience and to avoid falling into unsustainable levels of debt.

Financial Services: Income

Simon Kirby: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the gross natural product generated from the financial sector in  (a) England,  (b) Scotland,  (c) Wales and  (d) Northern Ireland in the last year for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Hurd: I have been asked to reply.
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated January 2011:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question concerning the most recent estimate of gross national product generated from the financial sector in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland (36916).
	The Office for National Statistics does not produce regional estimates of Gross National Product (GNP) but it does produce estimates of regional Gross Value Added (GVA). GVA is used in the estimation of Gross Domestic Product (GDP). It is measured at current basic prices and can be derived as follows:
	GVA = GDP less taxes on products plus subsidies on products
	Regional GVA is broken down by industry sector using the 2003 Standard Industrial Classification (SIC03), the financial industry falls within section J 'financial intermediation'. The most recent estimates of GVA within financial intermediation for England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are available in the table below.
	
		
			  Total gross value added 
			  £ million 
			   2008 Industry J 
			 England 104,574 
			 Wales 2,305 
			 Scotland 8,501 
			 Northern Ireland 1,422 
			  Source: Table 1.3, Regional GVA, ONS, available on the National Statistics website at: http://www.statistics.gov.uk/downloads/theme_economy/GVA_NUTS1.xls

Incentives

Paul Uppal: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will hold discussions with the banking industry for the purposes of encouraging the payment of employee bonuses in the form of shares rather than cash.

Mark Hoban: The Government have taken robust action to tackle unacceptable bonuses. The Financial Services Authority's Remuneration Code has been revised and new rules came into force on 1 January 2011 covering roughly 2,500 firms throughout the financial services sector. The new rules are significantly tougher than previously and require that at least 50% of a bonus must be paid in shares or other non-cash instruments and held subject to an appropriate retention policy. In addition, significant proportions of any bonus must be deferred and linked to performance and only 20-30% of a bonus can be paid upfront in cash.

International Monetary Fund

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the Government's objectives are for the reform of the International Monetary Fund.

Mark Hoban: The Chancellor set out his objectives for the reform of the IMF in his statement at the October 2010 IMF Annual Meetings, available at:
	http://www.imf.org/external/am/2010/speeches/pr49e.pdf
	The Chancellor also discussed the role of the IMF in his recent speech in Paris on 6 January this year, available at:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/speech_chx_060111.htm

Jurisdiction: Isle of Man

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to enforce county court judgements against companies registered in the Isle of Man with property holdings in the UK.

David Gauke: The Treasury has not identified a county court judgment in its favour against a company registered in the Isle of Man. In light of this, the Treasury has no plans to enforce any such judgments.

Members: Correspondence

John Baron: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when his Department plans to write to the hon. Member for Basildon and Billericay correcting the errors in the letter of 5 November 2010 in response to his letter of 15 September 2010 regarding Mr Jobb Robb.

Danny Alexander: I have replied to the hon. Member.

Members: Correspondence

John Baron: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he plans to respond to the letters from the hon. Member for Basildon and Billericay of 7 October and 18 November 2010 regarding Ford Dunton.

Justine Greening: I have replied to the hon. Member.

Taxation: Aviation

Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will bring forward proposals to base aviation taxes on passengers on the distance travelled.

Justine Greening: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to my hon. Friend the Member for Crawley (Henry Smith) on 1 November 2010,  Official Report, column 661W.

Taxation: Dogs

David Amess: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the sum accruing to the Exchequer from taxation on  (a) dog food and  (b) dog treats in each of the last three years.

David Gauke: No such estimates have been made as HM Revenue and Customs does not collect data on VAT from individual goods and services.

VAT: Tax Rates and Bands

Angus MacNeil: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much additional revenue he expects to raise as a result of the recent increase in the rate of value added tax; and what proportion of that increase he estimates will come from consumer expenditure on petrol.

David Gauke: The estimated total revenue gain from the VAT rate increase on 4 January 2011 is £12.1 billion for 2011-12. Data are not available for the revenue attributable to specific goods and services.

Welfare Tax Credits

Yvonne Fovargue: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many households have had their tax credit awards terminated following failure to renew their awards in each of the last three years; how many of these were subsequently restored; how many were required to repay the full amount of the award; and what the  (a) average and  (b) maximum amount required in repayment was in each of those years.

David Gauke: The information is not available in the format requested.
	For information on the number of tax credit claims ended and the number restored during each of the last three years I refer the hon. Member to the following table:
	
		
			  During year  Total number of claims ended  Total number of claims restored 
			 2007-08 455,420 223,165 
			 2008-09 465,305 214,556 
			 2009 10 397,998 198,803 
		
	
	The average amount and the maximum repayment amounts are available only at disproportionate cost.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Cold Weather Payments: Wales

Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much money was spent on cold weather payments in Wales in the latest period for which figures are available; and how many individuals received cold weather payments in each weather station area.

Steve Webb: Areas linked to weather stations used in the cold weather payment scheme do not follow country or regional borders. Therefore there are some weather stations located in Wales which also cover areas in England and vice versa. The estimated amount authorised for payment so far this winter for weather stations where the area covered is wholly in Wales is £23.0 million. For weather stations which cover areas that straddle the border the estimated amount authorised for payment so far this winter is £20.7 million (for all areas covered, not just the parts in Wales)(1, 2, 3, 4).
	The number of benefit units that have received at least one cold weather payment by weather station in Wales so far this winter are given in the following tables. The tables are split into weather stations covering areas wholly in Wales and weather stations which cover areas that straddle the border.
	
		
			  Weather stations covering areas wholly in Wales for winter 2010-11 
			  Weather station  Admin area  Estimated number of benefit units that have received at least one payment this winter 
			 Aberporth Ceredigion 4,800 
			 Capel Curig Conwy 800 
			 Mona Isle of Anglesey 13,700 
			 Pembrey Sands Carmarthenshire 44,300 
			 Rhyl Denbighshire 17,400 
			 St Athan Vale of Glamorgan 73,000 
			 Trawsgoed Ceredigion 3,500 
			 Tredegar Blaenau Gwent 62,300 
		
	
	
		
			  Weather stations covering areas in Wales and England for winter 2010-11 
			  Weather station  Admin area  Estimated number of benefit units that have received at least one payment this winter 
			 Filton South Gloucestershire 61,000 
			 Hawarden Airport Flintshire 27,600 
			 Hereford-Credenhill Herefordshire 57,400 
			 Lake Vyrnwy Powys 5,500 
			 Sennybridge Powys 4,900 
			 Shawbury Shropshire 26,100 
			  Notes: 1. The admin area gives the location of the weather station and not necessarily the area the weather station covers. For example, Lake Vyrnwy weather station is located in Powys, but does not cover all of Powys. Lake Vyrnwy weather station also covers some postcodes in England. 2. Cold weather payments are made to benefit units. A benefit unit can be a single person or a couple and can include children. 3. Some benefit units have received more than one payment this winter. 4. Estimated numbers have been rounded to the nearest 100.  Source: Department for Work and Pensions records of triggers notified up to and including 27 January 2011 and estimates of potential qualifiers by weather station. 
		
	
	(1) The information provided is Management Information. Our preference is to answer all parliamentary questions using Official/National Statistics but in this case we only have management information available. It is not quality assured to the same extent as Official/National Statistics and there are some issues with the data, for example, figures given are estimates. Actuals are not available.
	(2)( )A cold weather payment is made to an eligible customer when the average temperature has been recorded as, or is forecast to be, 0°C or below over seven consecutive days at the weather station linked to the customer's postcode. (When the temperature criterion is met, the weather station is said to trigger.)
	(3) It is not possible to calculate a total estimated amount authorised for payment in Wales for the weather stations that straddle the border.
	(4)( ) Source:
	Department for Work and Pensions records of triggers notified up to and including 27 January 2011 and estimates of potential qualifiers by weather station.

Departmental Statistics

Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions which models his Department uses to analyse levels of  (a) employment,  (b) unemployment,  (c) jobseeker's allowance (JSA) caseload and  (d) expenditure on JSA.

Chris Grayling: The Office for National Statistics (ONS) publishes official labour market statistics on a monthly basis. These statistics include employment, unemployment, jobseeker's allowance (JSA) caseload and the average weekly payment of JSA.
	Modelling of overall employment, unemployment and the JSA claimant count is conducted by the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR). Internal modelling of these for business planning purposes is based on these forecasts.
	Expenditure forecasts are produced by multiplying the OBR claimant count by the average amount of weekly benefit paid to each individual.

Disability Living Allowance

Margaret Curran: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate his Department has made of the number and proportion of current recipients of disability living allowance who will be eligible to receive the personal independence payment in 2014-15.

Maria Miller: The proposed personal independence payment will be for those with the assessed level of need. The detailed criteria that will be used in the new assessment to determine eligibility for the rates of the benefit are currently being developed and a consultation process is also under way.

Employment and Support Allowance

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions by how much he expects spending on contributory employment and support allowance to be reduced by time limiting to 12 months in the first year of the reduction; and what the figure would be if time limiting was  (a) six months,  (b) two years,  (c) three years and  (d) four years.

Maria Miller: The latest departmental spending estimates are contained in the Office for Budget Responsibility's economic and fiscal outlook-announced in the Autumn Statement. In this statement it was estimated that time limiting contributory employment and support allowance to one year for those in the Work Related Activity Group would reduce overall benefit expenditure by around £850 million in 2012-13. This includes reductions to expenditure on contributory ESA net of expected costs to income-related ESA and other DWP administered benefits.
	The estimated costs or savings from changing the period of the time limit are shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Net benefit savings in 2012-13 
			  Period of time limit  £ million 
			 Six months 1,200 
			 One year 850 
			 Two years 350 
			 Three years 200 
			 Four years 50 
			  Note:  Figures are in cash terms, and are for Great Britain. They are rounded to the nearest £50 million. 
		
	
	These cost estimates are consistent with those made for the Autumn Statement. They are subject to change as the underlying models are being constantly improved to incorporate as much evidence as possible. A full impact assessment, including the most up to date costs and savings for the policy, will be published alongside the Welfare Reform Bill.

Employment and Support Allowance

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the evidential basis is for his proposal that 12 months should be the maximum period for claimants in the work-related activity group to receive contributory employment and support allowance.

Maria Miller: We are introducing a time limit of 12 months for entitlement to contributory employment and support allowance for claimants in the Work Related Activity Group. The period of 12 months was chosen because it strikes the best balance between allowing people with longer-term conditions to adjust to their health condition and providing a level of access that is appropriate for contributory benefits. Around 60% of all those claiming ESA already come off this benefit within a year(1). We will be putting in place significant additional employment support through the Work programme.
	ESA has always been intended to be a temporary benefit for those in the Work Related Activity Group. It is important that we rebalance the benefit system so that it is fair to recipients as well as being affordable to the taxpayer.
	Those in the Support Group, who have the most severe health conditions or disabilities, are not affected by this measure. Customers in the Work Related Activity Group whose entitlement to contributory ESA ends after 12 months will be able to claim income-related ESA if they are eligible.
	(1) Source:
	Department for Work and Pensions Tabulation Tool.

Housing Benefit

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the likely effects of reductions in housing benefit payments on rent levels in the private sector.

Steve Webb: In July last year, the Department published a document on "Impacts of Housing Benefit proposals: Changes to the Local Housing Allowance to be introduced in 2011-12", which includes analysis at the local authority level, and a separate equality impact assessment. A copy of the documents has been placed in the Library.
	The Department published a full impact assessment for the 2011-12 changes to the local housing allowance arrangements in November 2010. A copy of the documents has been placed in the Library.
	We expect landlords to reduce rents as a result of reductions to local housing allowance rates. To support this drive, we are temporarily extending local authority discretion to pay benefit direct to landlords who agree to reduce the rent to a level that is affordable to a person claiming housing benefit.
	The Department is intending to commission independent, external research to evaluate the impact of the housing benefit measures. The precise form will depend upon the resources that are available, but we anticipate that it will include fieldwork examining the effects on different types of households in a range of areas across Great Britain.

Housing Benefit: Unemployment

Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he made of the number of people expected to be affected by the planned changes in housing benefit for the long-term unemployed in determining the policy cost estimate in the June 2010 Budget.

Steve Webb: We will publish an equality impact assessment for the proposed changes to housing benefit announced at Budget 2010 to accompany the relevant legislation when introduced in Parliament.

Incapacity Benefit: Brighton and Hove

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in  (a) the city of Brighton and Hove and  (b) the UK received incapacity benefit in each year since 2007.

Maria Miller: The information is as follows:
	
		
			  Incapacity benefit and severe disablement allowance claimants in Brighton and Hove local authority and Great Britain: in each May since 2007 
			  As at May each year  Brighton and Hove LA  Great Britain 
			 2007 12,960 2,685,320 
			 2008 13,010 2,637,560 
			 2009 11,840 2,374,210 
			 2010 10,860 2,126,690 
			  Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. Figures do not include employment support allowance (ESA) which was introduced in October 2008 for new claimants. 3. IB/SDA 'Claimants' include people in receipt of benefit and also those who fail the contributions conditions but receive a national insurance credit, ie 'credits only cases'. 4. DWP does not hold statistics for Northern Ireland residents. These may be obtained from the Department for Social Development in Northern Ireland website. 5. The data provided are published at http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/index.php?page=tabtool  Source: DWP Information Directorate Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study 100% data.

Jobseeker's Allowance

Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 21 January 2011,  Official Report, columns 1015-16W, on jobseeker's allowance, if he will publish his Department's projection of the  (a) jobseeker's allowance claimant count,  (b) jobseeker's allowance claimant counted aged 16 to 24 years old,  (c) average weekly jobseeker's allowance payment and  (d) average weekly jobseeker's allowance payments to those claimants aged 16 to 24 years old in (i) 2011-12, (ii) 2012-13, (iii) 2013-14 and (iv) 2014-15.

Chris Grayling: The Department does not produce forecasts of unemployment. The Department produces projections for business planning purposes which are aligned to the overall independent claimant count forecasts published by the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) as part of the autumn forecast.
	The information available is shown in the following table.
	
		
			   2011-12  2012-13  2013-14  2014-15 
			 OBR claimant count (UK, thousand) 1,490 1,410 1,300 1,210 
			 Projected 16-24 case load (GB, thousand) 351 318 294 279 
			 Average payment (£ per week) 62.71 64.20 65.78 67.07 
			  Notes: 1. Claimant count figures represent an average point-in-time case load for each financial year. 2. Figures are subject to a significant degree of uncertainty.  Sources: OBR. DWP internal planning. 
		
	
	The Department does not make any projection of the average benefit payment for 16 to 24-year-olds.
	These figures do not take into account any effect from the Work programme.

Maternity Pay

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether, under his proposals for parental leave, employees will be permitted to continue to recoup statutory maternity pay if a mother returns to work but takes a period of annual leave immediately after maternity leave.

Maria Miller: The Government are committed to encourage shared parenting from the earliest stages of pregnancy-including the promotion of a system of flexible parental leave. It is important that we make sure that any new system balances the needs of families and those who employ them. We will be consulting widely in due course to give family groups, individual workers and employers the opportunity to help us get this right.

Pensioners: Income

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the effects on pensioner incomes of the change from the retail prices index to the consumer prices index for indexation.

Steve Webb: The effect on a pensioner's income of the change to using the consumer price index (CPI) for indexation will depend on the composition of that income, i.e. the pensions and benefits they receive.
	For occupational pension recipients, the change to their occupational pension income will be dependent upon the type of scheme that they are in and the rules of that scheme. Additional pension recipients will be likely to see lower increases in additional pension as a result of using the CPI for indexation rather than the retail price index (RPI).
	As an illustration, where the RPI shows growth of one percentage point above the CPI, a pensioner in receipt of £70 a week in affected income-e.g. made up of any combination of additional pension, an affected occupational pension or an affected benefit-could see a 70p per week difference in the increase applied to that income. This may be offset by increased entitlement to an income-related benefit.
	It is important to see this change in the context of the more generous increases to the basic state pension which, under a 'triple guarantee' announced by the Government, will increase by the highest of the growth in average earnings, CPI or 2.5%. In 2011-12 only, it is proposed that an increase by the retail prices index will be given to the basic state pension.
	The lifetime net contributory state pension income gain from both policies is around £10,000, in net present value terms.

Poverty: Children

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what analysis his Department has undertaken on the role of child maintenance in tackling child poverty; and if he will make a statement.

Maria Miller: Analysis carried out by the Department shows that child maintenance payments are estimated to have a small, non-reportable, impact on the number of children in relative income poverty.
	This is because statutory child maintenance payments to children living on or near the poverty line involve moving relatively small amounts of money between families. These payment levels do not have a reportable impact on lifting children out of poverty.
	For those individual households however, where child maintenance provides parents with a stable income stream, it can make a real difference to the lives of children in poor households.
	We are committed to addressing child poverty and improving children's life chances and we believe that all families should receive the child maintenance that they are due. Beyond actual child maintenance payments, evidence indicates that ongoing involvement of both parents in children's lives is better for children on a range of outcomes. This is why supporting parents to make family-based arrangements for maintenance is absolutely central to our proposals for reforming the child maintenance system.

State Retirement Pensions

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the net effect on the state pension of a person of average income who reaches state retirement age in 2011 of the implementation of  (a) the triple guarantee and  (b) the use of the consumer prices index rather than the retail prices index for indexation;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the effect on the second state pension of a person of average income who reaches state retirement age in 2011 of the use of the consumer prices index rather than the retail prices index for pension indexation.

Steve Webb: The estimated net contributory state pension income effects on a person with an average state pension entitlement reaching state pension age in the 2011-12 tax year are as follows:
	 (a) A lifetime net gain in basic state pension income of around £15,000, in net present value terms, due to the effect of the triple guarantee.
	 (b) A lifetime net loss in additional state pension income of around £5,000, in net present value terms, due to the switch to CPI indexation.
	The lifetime net contributory state pension income gain from both policies is around £10,000, in net present value terms.
	 Notes:
	1. The calculation is based on projected median state pension entitlement for individuals reaching state pension age in the 2011-12 tax year. This includes basic state pension entitlement, plus additional state pension entitlement (State Earnings Related Pension Scheme and state second pension), assuming no deductions due to periods spent in contracted-out employment.
	2. The calculation excludes entitlement deriving from a former spouse's or partner's contributions, and assumes the individual does not defer claiming their state pension. Entitlement to graduated retirement benefit is not included.
	3. Figures are net present values of the policies over the length of a retirement.
	4. Figures are rounded to the nearest £1,000.
	5. The effects on basic state pension income and additional state pension income are both calculated relative to counterfactual policies of RPI indexation.
	6. The estimates assume a length of retirement of 25 years after the year in which the person reaches state pension age.
	7. Net contributory state pension income is income from basic state pension and additional state pension (excluding graduated retirement benefit).

State Retirement Pensions: Females

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what his estimate is of the change in the average monthly income for women born between 6 March and 5 April 1954 as a result of the new timetable for equalising state pension age in each month of the period when they would have reached state retirement age under the previous timetable;
	(2)  what his estimate is of the financial effect on a woman for whom the state retirement age increases by two years under the new timetable for equalising the state pension age;
	(3)  what his estimate is of the financial effect on a woman for whom the state retirement age increases by 18 months or more under the new timetable for equalising the state pension age;

Steve Webb: The overall financial effect of these changes is complex and will vary significantly from person to person. This makes it difficult to generalise about the impact of the changes on individuals.
	The impact will depend on a range of factors, including the amount of state pension they would otherwise have received, their eligibility for in-work benefits such as jobseeker's allowance (JSA) and employment support allowance (ESA), the income and characteristics of their wider household, and their level of savings.
	In addition, many of these women will remain in employment, and could therefore benefit from additional earnings and from additional accrual of pension rights.

State Retirement Pensions: Females

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of women in  (a) Yorkshire and Humber,  (b) East Midlands,  (c) North East,  (d) East of England,  (e) London,  (f) South East,  (g) South West,  (h) West Midlands,  (i) North West,  (j) Scotland,  (k) Wales and  ( l ) Northern Ireland whose state pension age will increase by exactly two years under the proposed new timetable for the state pension age.

Steve Webb: The effect on the level of income is complex and will vary significantly between individuals. Because of the revision in life expectance projections, women retiring at 66 in 2020 will, on average, be getting their state pension for about the same length of time (24 years) as the previous life expectancy projections implied for a state pension age of 64 in 2018.
	The Department's estimates, made on the basis of the mid-2009 ONS population estimates, of the approximate number of women whose state pension age will increase by exactly two years are set out in the following table:
	
		
			   Thousand 
			 Yorkshire and Humber 3 
			 East midlands 2 
			 North-east 1 
			 East of England 3 
			 London 3 
			 South-east 5 
			 South-west 3 
			 West midlands 3 
			 North-west 4 
			 Scotland 3 
			 Wales 2 
			 Northern Ireland 1

State Retirement Pensions: Females

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of women in  (a) Yorkshire and Humber,  (b) East Midlands,  (c) North East,  (d) East of England,  (e) London,  (f) South East,  (g) South West,  (h) West Midlands,  (i) North West,  (j) Scotland,  (k) Wales and  (l) Northern Ireland whose state pension age will increase by more than 18 months under the proposed new timetable for the state pension age.

Steve Webb: The effect on the level of income is complex and will vary significantly between individuals. Because of the revision in life expectance projections, women retiring at 66 in 2020 will, on average, be getting their state pension for about the same length of time (24 years) as the previous life expectancy projections implied for a state pension age of 64 in 2018.
	The Department's estimates, made on the basis of the mid-2009 ONS population estimates, of the approximate number of women whose state pension age will increase by more than 18 months are set out in the following table.
	
		
			   Thousand 
			 Yorkshire and Humber 21 
			 East midlands 19 
			 North-east 11 
			 East of England 24 
			 London 25 
			 South-east 35 
			 South-west 23 
			 West midlands 22 
			 North-west 29 
			 Scotland 23 
			 Wales 13 
			 Northern Ireland 7

Unemployed People: Dyslexia

Rob Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the extent of discrimination against  (a) dyslexic people in the workplace and  (b) unemployed dyslexic people who are seeking work.

Maria Miller: My Department has made no assessment of the extent of discrimination faced by people with dyslexia in the workplace, or by unemployed people with dyslexia who are seeking work.
	The employment provisions of the Equality Act 2010 (EA) provide protection from disability discrimination for disabled workers and disabled job applicants. The EA generally defines a disabled person as someone who has a mental or physical impairment that has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on the person's ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities. Therefore a person whose dyslexia has these effects would be protected by the Act from discrimination.

Universal Credit

Glenda Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether  (a) statutory sick pay,  (b) maternity pay and  (c) maternity allowance will be treated as earnings when assessing eligibility for universal credit.

Maria Miller: Final decisions have not yet been made. However, it may be logical to treat payments such as statutory sick pay and statutory maternity pay in the same way as earnings as they are paid by employers. We will be looking further at this issue and the implications such an approach might have for the treatment of maternity allowance.

Winter Fuel Payments: British Nationals Abroad

Stephen McPartland: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much his Department spent on winter fuel payments to UK citizens living in  (a) other EU member states and  (b) outside the EU in each of the last three years.

Steve Webb: Winter fuel payments are paid to former UK residents living in the European economic area (EEA) and Switzerland if they qualified for a payment before leaving the UK. In all cases, this represents less than 1% of the total expenditure on winter fuel payments.
	Expenditure on winter fuel payments paid to people living outside the United Kingdom over the three most recent years for which information is available is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Winter fuel payments expenditure on recipients living outside the UK 
			  £ million 
			   2007-08  2008-09  2009-10 
			 EEA/Switzerland 9.0 13.5 15.2 
			  Of which:
			 EU 9.0 13.5 15.1 
			 Non-EU 0.0 0.1 0.1 
			  Notes: 1. Expenditure has been rounded to the nearest £100,000 and the breakdown may not sum to the total due to this rounding. 2. The distribution of the different levels of payment in the European Union is assumed to be the same as that for the European economic area, as country-level information about distribution of payment amounts is not available.  Source: DWP Statistical and Accounting Data.

BUSINESS, INNOVATION AND SKILLS

Aerospace Industry: Immigration Rules

Mark Tami: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the likely effects on the competitiveness and financial stability of the aerospace industry of the changes to immigration rules to take effect in April 2011;
	(2)  what discussions he has had with the aerospace industry on the effects on them of changes to immigration rules to take effect in April 2011; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Prisk: A number of companies have expressed views on restrictions on employing skilled non-EU migrants. These include a small number of our larger aerospace companies, who have advised us of their discussions with officials in my Department, the UK Border Agency and the Migration Advisory Committee on this matter. One of these aerospace companies raised it directly with me last September.
	The Department consulted widely with all sectors of industry during the development of the policy to limit non EU economic migration.
	The changes that have been announced will leave intra-company transfers (ICTs) outside of the limit and prioritise skilled migrants.

Business: Higher Education

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what funding local economic partnerships will be able to provide to develop new partnerships between business and higher education institutions; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Prisk: I will reply to the hon. Member as soon as possible.
	No central Government spending has been allocated specifically to fund the activities of local enterprise partnerships. As set out in the White Paper on Local Growth local enterprise partnerships will be expected to fund their own day-to-day running costs and will also want to consider how they can obtain the best value for public money by leveraging in private sector investment. Local enterprise partnerships and proposed partnerships may also wish to submit bids to the Regional Growth Fund or European Funding. It is for local authorities to decide how much of their discretionary spending they allocate to local enterprise partnerships.

Defence: Industry

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills when he plans to publish a defence industry strategy plan.

Edward Davey: I do not have any plans to publish a defence industry strategic plan.
	The UK Government published 'Securing Britain in an Age of Uncertainty: The Strategic Defence and Security Review' in October 2010. This document sets out the UK Government's decision on its defence, security, intelligence, resilience, development and foreign affairs capabilities in the round. It sets a clear target for the national security capabilities the UK will need by 2020 and charts a course for getting there.
	In December 2010, following on from the Strategic Defence and Security Review, the Minister for Defence Equipment and Support and the Minister of State for Security and Counter Terrorism initiated a formal consultation by the publication of a Green Paper on how the UK Government should acquire equipment, support and technology for UK defence and security. This consultation is wide ranging but it seeks to consider how the Government can ensure that the UK creates and retains the skills necessary to support essential national security capabilities and to what extent it should take wider economic considerations into account when taking decisions about fulfilling its defence and security requirements. My officials are working with those from the Ministry of Defence on these issues. I am also engaging on these issues through the National Defence Industries Council. The consultation which ends on 31 March is part of the process of developing a White Paper on these issues to be published in 2011.

Departmental Pay

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what information his Department holds on the number of sub-contracted staff servicing his Department who were not paid at a rate equivalent to or above the London living wage in the latest period for which figures are available.

Edward Davey: The Department's facilities contractors currently employ 88 staff who are not paid at a rate equivalent to or above the London living wage.

Departmental Regulation

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will place in the Library a list of the deregulatory measures his Department has taken since May 2010.

Edward Davey: Since May 2010 the Department has not yet revoked any significant regulatory measures. However, we have launched a review of employment law, and are conducting a major fundamental review scrutinising the overall stock of BIS regulation, alongside legacy measures inherited from the previous Administration. The Home Office are leading on the Protection of Freedoms Bill due to be announced in February 2011, which will include a number of proposed repeals of primary and secondary legislation that have been identified as unnecessary.

Economic Growth

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent progress he has made on his strategy for business growth in the UK economy; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Prisk: The Government's strategy for stimulating private sector growth was set out in 'The path to strong, sustainable and balanced growth', published on 29 November. The first phase of the Growth Review, launched in the paper, will report at Budget 2011.

English Language: Higher Education

Damian Hinds: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the proportion of all students enrolled in English-language higher education courses outside their home country who studied in the UK in  (a) 2009-10,  (b) 2004-05 and  (c) 1999-2000.

David Willetts: The information requested is not available.

EU High-Level Group of Member States: Social Responsibility

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills who has represented his Department at meetings of the EU High-Level Group of Member States representatives on corporate social responsibility.

Edward Davey: BIS officials will be meeting with European Commission representatives from the High-Level Group in February to discuss EU developments on corporate social responsibility and facilitate future engagement at the EU level.
	No officials from the Department attended the most recent meeting of the High-Level Group on 19 January 2010. Officials from BIS or other Government Departments will represent the UK at future meetings of the High-Level Group as necessary, according to the specific policy issues which have been tabled for discussion.

Export Credit Guarantees

Gary Streeter: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what criteria the Export Credits Guarantee Department uses to decide whether a project which it supports requires a sovereign counter-guarantee from the importing country's government.

Edward Davey: When ECGD is asked to provide its support for an export transaction where the buyer is a Ministry or Department of the central Government it would be usual to seek a sovereign guarantee of payment that commits the full faith and credit of the sovereign Government to honour its debt obligations. Sovereign guarantees of payment may also be sought where the buyer is a publicly owned entity in circumstances when ECGD judges that such security is necessary and it is available. ECGD does not normally seek sovereign guarantees of payment for export transactions involving private buyers or where it takes project risk involving limited recourse financing structures.

Financial Inclusion Fund

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the effect of the end of the Financial Inclusion Fund on the number of centres in  (a) England and  (b) the West Midlands providing debt advice.

Edward Davey: The Financial Inclusion Fund (FIF) has always been due to close in March 2011. The Government have not yet taken a decision on the future of the projects currently funded from the FIF. In the meantime, my officials have worked with the projects involved to understand the potential scale of any redundancies and taken steps to ensure that any redundancy costs can be met from project funds rather than affecting the viability of the organisations affected.

Higher Education: Admissions

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many students normally resident in each parliamentary constituency entered university in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

David Willetts: The number of entrants from each parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom to UK higher education institutions are shown in the table, for the academic years 2005/06 to 2009/10 which can be found in the Libraries of the House. Figures are based on updated postcode information and are, therefore, not comparable with constituency level data which may have been published previously. Figures for the 2010/11 academic year will become available from January 2012. Information on entrants to higher education courses at further education colleges is not available at constituency level.

Higher Education: Disadvantaged

Paul Maynard: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many pupils in Blackpool North and Cleveleys constituency in receipt of free school meals entered higher education in  (a) 2009 and  (b) 2010.

David Willetts: Latest available figures show 25 pupils who attended maintained schools in Blackpool local authority and had previously received free school meals aged 15, had progressed to Higher Education by age 19 in 2007/08. Figures are not available by parliamentary constituency. Data for the 2008/09 academic year will be available later this year.

Higher Education: Economic Situation

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent assessment he has made of the contribution to the economy of postgraduate education; and if he will make a statement.

David Willetts: Professor Sir Adrian Smith's Postgraduate Review from 2010 (One Step Beyond: Making the most of the postgraduate education sector) found that the advanced knowledge and capability of postgraduates were highly prized by business and the public sector. The report noted that the skills of postgraduates, especially researchers, are critical for tackling major business challenges and driving innovation and growth. The UK's ability to provide people skilled to this level is an important factor in attracting global businesses to locate high-value operations in this country.
	The value of postgraduate education to all areas of the UK economy has also been recognised by a number of other sources. For example, the Royal Society's report "The Scientific Century" (2010) suggested that, while many graduates move out of research following a PhD in a scientific, or closely related, subject, they go on to use their skills to considerable economic and wider benefit, through employment within a large range of sectors.

Higher Education: Further Education

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will publish an assessment of the potential effects of fluctuations in the number of students entering higher and further education on the funding levels of institutions.

David Willetts: From next academic year (2011/12), funding allocations for 16 to 18-year-olds will be based on the equivalent of lagged pupil numbers. Individual statements will be sent to each 16 to18 provider by the Young People's Learning Agency at the end of January, which will detail the number of learners they will be funded for in 2011/12 and the make up of those learners. These statements will not include detail on the funding individual providers will receive because the funding rates for schools and colleges will need to be finalised as part of the allocations process taking into account projected national student volumes. The base rate of funding will be announced as part of this process and final funding allocations are due to be completed by 31 March 2011.
	Should the volume of 16 to 18-year-old learners be greater than projected and individual providers recruit more learners than they have been funded for in year, this growth will be consolidated as part of next year's allocations process for which providers will be funded in 2012/13.
	With regard to adult skills (19 and over), 'Investing Skills for Sustainable Growth' was published on 16 November 2010. In the 2011-12 financial year, we plan to invest £3.9 billion in further education (FE) and skills for post-19 learners. Within this envelope of resource, institutions have the freedom and flexibility to plan their provision to meet the needs of learners, employers and communities.
	The current Statistical First Release was published on 16 November 2010 including information on learner participation and achievement for both 16 to 18 and 19+ further education and skills from 2005/6 to 2008/09, as well as provisional data for 2009/10.
	The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) will announce its provisional allocations to institutions in March for academic year 2011/12, based on the resources allocated in its grant letter issued in December. For subsequent years we do not have robust data on which to make such as assessment down to institutional level. University income is made up of a number of funding streams from public, private and charitable sources. In terms of public funding our reforms to higher education will shift the balance of resources for teaching from direct grant to institutions to funding that follows the choices made by individual students. This will provide strong incentives for institutions to focus on providing high quality teaching as efficiently as possible. Over time, popular and successful institutions will be able to grow and we expect new providers to enter the sector providing they can offer teaching to the high standards students will expect. We do not expect the overall income of the sector to reduce and we expect improved teaching quality and better informed students to have a positive impact on the economy. Overall we expect the number of university students to remain at current levels.

Higher Education: Standards

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 24 January 2011,  Official Report, column 108W, on higher education: standards, what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the contract between the Higher Education Funding Council for England and the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education in maintaining academic standards and quality; and if he will make a statement.

David Willetts: I have made no assessment of the effectiveness of the contract itself, which is the mechanism through which the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) delivers its statutory responsibility to provide for the assessment of the quality of education provided in institutions that it funds. Individual higher education institutions are responsible for maintaining their own academic standards and quality. QAA checks how well individual higher education institutions meet those responsibilities. In our recent grant letter to HEFCE, the Secretary of State and I reaffirmed our commitment to a regime that is built around assuring and improving the experience of the student. We stressed the importance of HEFCE's work with the sector and the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education, in ensuring that strong quality assurance arrangements are in place for the start of the 2011/12 academic year. I continue to keep in touch with that process. For the future, as stated in my earlier reply, we have already announced our intention to publish a Higher Education White Paper covering a wide range of long-term issues.

Higher Education: Sunderland

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many students normally resident in Sunderland and entering higher education between 1997 and 2010 qualified for financial assistance from his Department.

David Willetts: The number of full-time, higher education students from Sunderland who applied and qualified for financial support between academic years 2004/05 and 2010/11 is as follows. Comparable figures for earlier years are not available.
	
		
			  Academic year  Number of students( 1,2,3) 
			 2004/05 3,840 
			 2005/06 3,890 
			 2006/07 4,080 
			 2007/08 4,110 
			 2008/09 4,390 
			 2009/10 4,510 
			 2010/11 (provisional) 4,310 
			 (1) Number of student finance continuing and aspiring students eligible and awarded to full-time student support. (2) Count of continuing and aspiring students based on Sunderland postcodes. (3) Figures are rounded to the closest 10.  Source: Student Loans Company

Manufacturing Industries

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the outcomes were of his recent manufacturing summit; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Prisk: Over 130 attendees from industry participated in the Manufacturing summit I hosted on 25 January to discuss how to work together to promote manufacturing excellence and challenge perceptions of the industry.
	The Deputy Prime Minister, Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, and I emphasised the importance this Government attach to manufacturing for achieving the balanced, sustainable growth essential for our economy. We also highlighted the need to tackle the outdated image of manufacturing that hinders its ability to attract the best talent. To address this challenge, we are asking UK businesses manufacturing cutting-edge products to throw open their doors for a day to students and teachers.
	Breakout sessions, chaired by Ministers, focused on understanding the key barriers to growth and identifying solutions where industry can work with Government. Outcomes from these sessions will feed into the advanced manufacturing strand of the Government's Growth Review, which will announce policy proposals at Budget 2011.

New Businesses and Job Creation

Michael Dugher: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will assess the effect of  (a) the removal of assisted area grants and  (b) the ending of regional development agencies on (i) attracting businesses to weaker local economies and (ii) job creation.

Mark Prisk: The Government are taking a new approach to local growth that was presented in the Local Growth White Paper (Cm 7961) presented to Parliament on 28 October 2010. This will  (a) shift power to local businesses and communities;  (b) create the right conditions for growth and prosperity by promoting efficient and dynamic markets and (c) support focused investment that will have a long term impact on growth.
	This fundamental re-thinking of local growth has led to the implementation of Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) and the Regional Growth Fund (RGF) that has different objectives and criteria to the Grant for Business Investment (GBI) scheme (which is now considering applications on an exceptional basis only). RGF support will be much larger-it has £1.4 billion over three years at its disposal compared to total GBI expenditure of £54 million in 2009/10-and focused to support those areas and communities that are currently dependent on the public sector make the transition to sustainable private sector-led growth. During the first round of the RGF over 400 applications have been received from businesses and local communities around England.
	An assessment of the impact of the abolition of the regional development agencies (RDAs) will be made in the impact assessment accompanying the Public Bodies Bill. This will also consider the impact of the Government's proposals on job creation and attracting businesses to weaker local economies.

Observatories: Finance

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the effects on astronomy in the UK of the decision of the Science and Technology Facilities Council to withdraw funding from optical and infrared astronomical observatories in the northern hemisphere.

David Willetts: In accordance with the Haldane Principle, detailed decisions on support for astronomy research are a matter for the Science and Technology Facilities Council in consultation with the research community.

Overseas Students: EU Nationals

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 24 January 2011,  Official Report, column 109W, on overseas students: EU nationals, what the mechanisms are which his Department has in place to recover loans from  (a) EU and  (b) other students who move abroad; and if he will make a statement.

David Willetts: Student loans in England are only available to those who meet the relevant residence requirements. The Student Loans Company (SLC) applies the same mechanisms to all borrowers who move overseas after leaving their course.
	When borrowers move abroad, whether temporarily or because they live in another country, they must give the SLC information about their location and earnings. SLC will determine whether the borrower should be making repayments and if so, gives them a monthly repayment schedule under the terms of the contract of the loan. The SLC will convert the income into pounds sterling and tell the borrower the amount they will need to pay each month in pounds sterling.
	Where borrowers move overseas and do not notify the SLC, they may be charged penalties which will be added to the outstanding loan amount. They may also have to pay the costs of any trace agents employed by SLC. In some circumstances, they may have to repay the full outstanding amount in a single payment.
	Effective collection of student loans across the EU is underpinned by EC regulation 44/2001, which allows the SLC to obtain judgments in UK courts which can be enforced by courts in other EU countries. Borrowers who choose to disregard their obligation will be pursued by SLC and where appropriate, court orders will be sought.

Parental Leave

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether, under his proposals for parental leave, a mother who returns to work in order for her partner to take additional paternity leave and pay will lose any keeping in touch days.

Edward Davey: Additional paternity leave and pay has effect for parents of children due on or after 3 April 2011. A mother's entitlement to Keeping in Touch days is not affected by her partner taking additional paternity leave and pay.
	A consultation will be launched in due course to explore proposals for a more flexible system of parental leave, aimed at encouraging shared parenting.

Parental Leave

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether, under his proposals for parental leave, a mother who takes a period of annual leave immediately after maternity leave will be classed as having returned to work for the purposes of starting additional paternity leave and pay.

Edward Davey: A return to work for the purposes of additional paternity leave and pay, which has effect for parents of children due on or after 3 April 2011, is classified as a mother having ended any entitlement to maternity leave and any entitlement to statutory maternity pay or maternity allowance by working as an employed or self-employed earner.
	A consultation will be launched in due course to explore proposals for a more flexible system of parental leave, aimed at encouraging shared parenting.

Postal Services: Fraud

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent discussions he has had with Royal Mail on the prevention of mail scams targeted on vulnerable and elderly people.

Edward Davey: Combating scams is a priority area for the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) whose staff will look into any mailings that are considered to be scams. Scams can be reported to the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) through Consumer Direct on 08454 04 05 06 or by visiting:
	www.consumerdirect.gov.uk/reportascam
	Government advises people to be very wary of any unsolicited offers which sound too good to be true, as they often are. And, in those cases where material is received through the postal system which is believed to promote a scam or fraud, recipients should report their suspicions to relevant bodies (for example, the Office of Fair Trading, Consumer Direct, local authority Trading Standards services, the Advertising Standards Authority, respective trade association or consumer body, and/or the police) for investigation and any appropriate action.
	Royal Mail are working closely with the police and other bodies on ways of combating postal scams, with the aim of preventing scam mail getting into the postal system in the first place.

Regional Growth Fund

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what criteria are applied to assess bids to the Regional Growth Fund; what comparative weight is attached to each criterion; and whether there have been any changes to such  (a) criteria and  (b) comparative weighting in the last three months.

Mark Prisk: The criteria that will be used to assess bids to the Regional Growth Fund (RGF) are set out in a guidance document, 'Information for Applicants', which is available on the RGF website:
	http://www.bis.gov.uk/assets/biscore/regional/docs/r/10-1222-regional-growth-fund-information-for-applicants.pdf
	In which there is a section on assessment criteria, which details the five criteria that will be used to assess bids:
	Sustainable private sector jobs and growth (RGF objective 1);
	rebalancing the economy (RGF objective 2);
	additionality;
	value for money;
	state aid compliance.
	These criterion have not changed and are not weighted.
	These criterion will be applied through all bidding rounds, including the first round.
	Bids to the first round can either be in the form of a project, or as a package of projects. This will be supplemented by programme bids from round two onwards. This approach was set out in the Local Growth White Paper (28 October 2010) and has been on the RGF website since that date.
	In December the information for applicants was changed slightly to improve clarity and provide data on the location metrics that the fund would be using to assess the location, this did not affect the fund's criterion. This was communicated on the RGF website and at the RGF road shows.

Regional Growth Fund: Applications

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what mechanisms he uses to inform prospective applicants to the Regional Growth Fund of the criteria which will be used to appraise bids; and whether prospective applicants have been informed of any changes to such criteria or to any comparative weighting attached to them.

Mark Prisk: The Regional Growth Fund (RGF) was launched on 28 October 2010, on that date the RGF website went live, and from when it started it has hosted guidance for applicants, which has included the criteria that will be used to assess bids. The information on the website was supplemented by a series of RGF roadshows, which ran workshops on bid appraisal.
	The criteria are not weighted.

Royal Academy of Engineering

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what discussions officials in his Department had with the Royal Academy of Engineering on the development of a new diversity programme in engineering and the wider science, technology, engineering and mathematics workforce to widen participation among under-represented groups prior to his Department's publication of The Allocation of Science and Research Funding, URN 10/1356.

David Willetts: The diversity programme formed part of the Department's discussions with the Royal Academy of Engineering about their delivery plan for 2011-12 to 2014-15, which BIS considered during the allocations process.
	Funding for individual programmes is still being discussed. We expect to conclude these discussions shortly, and the detailed delivery plan will then be published on the Academy's website.

Royal Mail: Livingston

Graeme Morrice: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will assess the effects on the Post Office network in Livingston constituency of his decision not to introduce legislative proposals to require an inter-business agreement between a privatised Royal Mail company and the Post Office network.

Edward Davey: Royal Mail and the Post Office are natural partners with a strong existing commercial relationship. The chief executive of Royal Mail has said that
	"it is unthinkable that we would ever have anything but the very strong relationship that we have now with the Post Office."
	The Government do not consider that inserting into the Postal Services Bill a requirement for Royal Mail and Post Office Ltd to have a commercial agreement in place would provide additional security for the post office network. Indeed legislating for an exclusive contract between the two companies would introduce a significant risk of challenge under competition or state aid law that could present a serious threat to the operation of the post office network.

Royal Mail: Standards

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent discussions he has had with Royal Mail on the clearance of backlogs of mail and parcels.

Edward Davey: Mail delivery is an operational matter for the Royal Mail.
	I have therefore asked the chief executive of Royal Mail, Moya Greene, to respond directly to the hon. Member and a copy of her reply will be placed in the House Libraries.

Vocational Guidance: Advisory Services

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what mechanism he has put in place to safeguard the  (a) staff and  (b) infrastructure of the Next Steps and Connexions services in the transition to the proposed all-age careers service in the academic year 2011-12.

John Hayes: The responsibility for the staff and infrastructure of existing Connexions services lies with individual local authorities (LA's) or the providers that have contracted with local authorities to deliver Connexions services. During the transition period we will support LA's to work through any changes that may be necessary in local service provision as a result of the establishment of the all-age service, involving, where appropriate, Connexions service providers. The responsibility for Next Step staff rests with the Next Step prime contractors.

Vocational Guidance: Advisory Services

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills which stakeholders were consulted on  (a) his plans for the proposed all-age careers service and  (b) the timetable for its implementation following the merger of the Next Steps and Connexions services.

John Hayes: In developing plans and the timetable for the introduction of the All-Age careers service, we are consulting with a broad range of stakeholders, including the National Connexions Network, the Association of School and College Leaders, the Institute of Careers Guidance and the Local Government Association.

Vocational Guidance: Advisory Services

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the statutory responsibilities of the proposed all-age careers service will be from the academic year 2011-12.

John Hayes: The all-age careers service will be provided through an arrangement between the Secretary of State and the chief executive of Skills Funding, under existing legislation. We are developing the model for the all-age-service including its responsibilities from the academic year 2011/12-in consultation with stakeholders.

Vocational Guidance: Advisory Services

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills when he plans to announce  (a) the funding allocated to the proposed all-age careers service in 2011-12 and  (b) the proportion of funding for that service to be provided by (i) his Department and (ii) the Department for Education.

John Hayes: Resourcing for the all-age careers service is under consideration. Details of the funding that will be available in 2011-12 and in subsequent years, including the split between the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Department for Education, will be announced in due course.

Vocational Guidance: Advisory Services

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what local authority responsibilities for the delivery of information, advice and guidance services will be transferred to the proposed all-age careers service as a result of the planned merger between Next Steps and Connexions.

John Hayes: When the all-age service is established, local authorities will no longer be expected to make available a universal careers advice and guidance offer to young people. Local authorities will continue to be responsible for securing targeted support services for vulnerable young people, including those who are NEET or at risk of becoming NEET.

CABINET OFFICE

Departmental Pay

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what information his Department holds on the number of sub-contracted staff servicing his Department who were not paid at a rate equivalent to or above the London living wage in the latest period for which figures are available.

Francis Maude: Staff employed by the Cabinet Office on London pay bands are paid at a rate above the London living wage. Information for sub-contracted staff is held by individual suppliers.

Departmental Procurement

Jon Trickett: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what single tender contracts his Department has awarded in respect of  (a) the Cabinet Office,  (b) the Prime Minister's Office,  (c) the Deputy Prime Minister's office and  (d) the Office of the Leader of the House since his appointment; and what the monetary value is of each contract above the EU public procurement threshold.

Francis Maude: Information in this precise form is available only at disproportionate cost, though details of Cabinet Office spend are published monthly as part of the Government's transparency agenda.

Employment: Manufacturing Industries

Chris White: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many people were employed in the manufacturing sector in  (a) Warwickshire and  (b) the West Midlands in each year since 2001.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated January 2011:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking how many people were employed in the manufacturing sector in (a) Warwickshire and (b) the West Midlands in each year since 2001. (036259)
	Annual statistics on the number of employees are available from the ONS release, "Annual Employment Statistics" derived from the Business Register Employment Survey (prior to 2009 employee estimates were available from the Annual Business Inquiry). This survey produces statistics on the number of employees only, and so excludes the self-employed. An estimate that included the self-employed at the level of detail requested would only be available through the Labour Force Survey. However, the industrial classification in the Labour Force Survey is known to be weak and as a result the Business Register Employment Survey, which has better accuracy in terms of its industrial classifications, has been used. The latest period for which figures are available is 2009.
	Table 1 provides information showing the numbers of employees in manufacturing in Warwickshire and the West Midlands between 2001 and 2009.
	
		
			  Table 1: Number of employees in the manufacturing sector 
			  Thousands 
			  Period  Warwickshire  West Midlands 
			 2001 34.0 432.0 
			 2002 34.2 455.5 
			 2003 34.8 416.4 
			 2004 35.1 386.1 
			 2005 32.2 361.7 
			 2006 31.4 351.4 
			 2007 30.1 330.0 
			 2008 30.1 319.1 
			 2009 26.1 279.3 
			  Notes: 1. Direct comparisons of employee estimates over these different periods should be treated with caution. Estimates for 2008 onwards are from the Business Register Employment Survey (BRES) and are on a new standard industrial classification basis (SIC2007). Estimates prior to this are from the Annual Business Inquiry (ABI) on the previous standard industrial classification basis (SIC2003).  2. An assessment of changes in survey methodology suggests the total number of employees for the manufacturing sector for GB increased by around 0.1% by moving to BRES from the ABI.  3. The change from SIC2003 to SIC2007an additional impact between 2008 and 2009 with the removal of the recycling industry out of manufacturing having the largest impact.  4. For the ABI estimates prior to 2006 are on a different basis to 2006 to 2008. An assessment of changes in survey methodology suggests that the estimate of the total number of employees for the manufacturing sector for GB increased by around 0.3%.

Employment: Mutual Societies

Charlie Elphicke: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office which public bodies have expressed an interest in becoming employee mutuals; and what the total budget is of such bodies in the current financial year.

Francis Maude: The Government are committed to introducing new 'Rights to Provide' for public sector workers to form employee-led organisations and take over the services they deliver.
	Mutuals offer improved organisational performance and efficiency through greater employee productivity, and greater scope for innovation.
	Cabinet Office is working with Departments to develop guidance on mutualisation and how to respond to expressions of interest by employees, including for non-departmental public bodies.
	Progress will be included in the forthcoming Public Services Reform White Paper, including actions to reduce barriers and encourage take-up, setting out the Government's ambitions for mutualisation over the next few years.

NDPBs

Charlie Elphicke: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what his most recent estimate is of the number of non-departmental public bodies proposed for transfer out of the public sector.

Francis Maude: A number of public bodies are proposed for transfer out of the public sector, including the Council for Healthcare Regulatory Excellence which will no longer be a non-departmental public body, and the Design Council which seeks to establish itself as an independent charity. Departments are also working to make decisions on the 40 bodies that were under consideration at the time of my public bodies review announcement on 14 October 2010.

Private Sector: East Midlands

Margaret Beckett: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what proportion of the working population of  (a) the City of Derby,  (b) Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire and  (c) the East Midlands was employed in the private sector in each of the last 10 years.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated January 2011:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking what proportion of the working population of (a) the City of Derby, (b) Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire and (c) the East Midlands region was employed in the private sector in each of the last 10 years. (037295)
	The Office for National Statistics (ONS) compiles employment statistics for local areas from the Annual Population Survey (APS) following International Labour Organisation (ILO) definitions.
	Table 1 shows the number of persons employed in the private sector resident in the City of Derby, Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire Local Enterprise Partnership and East Midlands for the 12 month periods ending in December from 2004 to 2009 from the APS, along with the latest estimate for the period ending June 2010. Estimates are not available prior to the 12 month period ending December 2004.
	As with any sample survey, estimates from the APS are subject to a margin of uncertainty.
	National and local area estimates for many labour market statistics, including employment, unemployment and claimant count are available on the NOMIS website at:
	http://www.nomisweb.co.uk
	
		
			  Table 1: Number of persons( 1)  and  proportions  of working population employed in the private sector resident in East Midlands, Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire( 2)  and City of Derby 
			   East Midlands  Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire  City of Derby 
			  12 month period ending:  Level ( thousand )  Proportion (%)  Level ( thousand )  Proportion (%)  Level ( thousand )  Proportion (%) 
			 December 2004 1,602 78 726 77 79 77 
			 December 2005 1,620 78 737 77 80 79 
			 December 2006 1,657 78 748 77 79 75 
			 December 2007 1,682 79 758 78 82 76 
			 December 2008 1,657 77 751 76 81 74 
			 December 2009 1,614 76 724 74 83 75 
			 June 2010 (1)1,589 75 (1)720 74 (2)82 74 
			 (1) Persons aged 16 and over. (2) Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire Local Enterprise Partnership is made up of Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire. (3) Coefficients of Variation have been calculated for the latest period as an indication of the quality of the estimates. See Guide to Quality below.  Guide to Quality: The Coefficient of Variation (CV) indicates the quality of an estimate, the smaller the CV value the higher the quality. The true value is likely to lie within +/- twice the CV - for example, for an estimate of 200 with a CV of 5% we would expect the population total to be within the range 180-220.  Key: * 0 ≤ CV<5%-Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered precise ** 5 ≤ CV <10%-Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered reasonably precise *** 10 ≤ CV <20%-Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered acceptable **** CV ≥ 20%-Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered too unreliable for practical purposes CV = Coefficient of Variation  Source: Annual Population Survey

Public Expenditure: Unemployment

Jon Trickett: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office 
	(1)  when he plans to answer question 22140, on job losses and the comprehensive spending review, tabled on 1 November 2010 for answer on 3 November 2010;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the number of job losses in the civil service attributable to the outcomes of the comprehensive spending review  (a) at each civil service pay band,  (b) in each region and  (c) in each year of the spending review period.

Francis Maude: Departments are currently working through the detail of what their individual spending review settlements will mean in terms of their own work force planning. The estimates requested are not currently held by the Cabinet Office.

Technology: East Midlands

Margaret Beckett: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what proportion of the workforce of  (a) the City of Derby,  (b) Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire and  (c) the East Midlands is classified as employed in high technology industries.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated January 2011:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking what proportion of the workforce of (a) the City of Derby, (b) Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire and (c) the East Midlands is classified as employed in high technology industries. (37301)
	The Office for National Statistics (ONS) compiles employment statistics for local areas from the Annual Population Survey (APS) following International Labour Organisation (ILO) definitions.
	The UK Standard Industrial Classification does not have a classification for high technology industries, however the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) uses a definition of high technology industries based on industries involved in the manufacture of pharmaceutical products, computer, electronic and optical products and air, spacecraft and related machinery.
	Table 1 shows the number and proportion of persons employed in the high technology industries resident in the City of Derby, Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire Local Enterprise Partnership and East Midlands for the 12 month ending June 2010.
	As with any sample survey, estimates from the APS are subject to a margin of uncertainty.
	National and local area estimates for many labour market statistics, including employment, unemployment and claimant count are available on the NOMIS website at:
	http://www.nomisweb.co.uk
	
		
			  Table 1: Number of persons( 1)  and proportion of working population employed in high technology industries( 2)  resident in East Midlands, Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire( 3)  and city of Derby 
			   12-month period ending June 2010 
			   Level (Thousand)  Proportion (%) 
			 City of Derby ***8 7 
			 Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire ***27 3 
			 East Midlands **43 2 
			 (1) Persons aged 16 and over. (2) High technology industries defined as manufacture of pharmaceutical products, computer electronic and optical products and air, spacecraft and related machinery. (Divisions 21 and 26, and Group 30.3 of the UK Standard Industrial Classification 2007). (3) Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire Local Enterprise Partnership is made up of Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire.  Note: Coefficients of Variation have been calculated for the latest period as an indication of the quality of the estimates, as described below:  Guide to Quality: The Coefficient of Variation (CV) indicates the quality of an estimate, the smaller the CV value the higher the quality. The true value is likely to lie within +/- twice the CV-for example, for an estimate of 200 with a CV of 5% we would expect the population total to be within the range 180-220.  Key: * 0 ≤ CV<5%-Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered precise ** 5 ≤ CV <10%-Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered reasonably precise *** 10 ≤ CV <20%-Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered acceptable **** CV ≥ 20%-Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered too unreliable for practical purposes  Source: Annual Population Survey.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Afghanistan: Education

Anas Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps his Department is taking to promote the education of girls in Afghanistan.

Alan Duncan: The Department for International Development (DFID) is supporting the Afghan Government to integrate gender equality into all its policies, including on education. DFID's funding contributions to the Government of Afghanistan have helped to make sure that 1.9 million girls are now attending school and more than 48,000 women teachers are in post. Through our ongoing support, we hope to see 2.6 million girls attending school and 64,000 women teachers in post within the next three years.

Afghanistan: Overseas Aid

Anas Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what plans he has to allocate resources for humanitarian purposes in Afghanistan.

Alan Duncan: The Department for International Development (DFID) is developing a new humanitarian strategy for Afghanistan and is considering its allocation for humanitarian needs in Afghanistan for the coming years.

Afghanistan: Overseas Aid

Anas Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether his Department employs staff in Kabul dedicated to conducting and promoting its humanitarian work in Afghanistan.

Alan Duncan: The Department for International Development's (DFID's) office in Kabul does employ staff tasked with monitoring, planning for and responding to the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Anas Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much and what proportion of his Department's planned expenditure on Afghanistan will be spent in Helmand province.

Alan Duncan: The Department for International Development (DFID) is currently undertaking a review of its bilateral programme to determine how we can achieve better value for money for the UK taxpayer, while bringing real benefits to the world's poor and accelerating progress towards the Millennium Development Goals. Details of future aid allocations within Afghanistan will be available upon the conclusion of the bilateral aid review.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Anas Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much funding his Department allocated to each province of Afghanistan in the latest period for which figures are available.

Alan Duncan: I refer the hon. Member to the answer provided to the right hon. and learned Member for Camberwell and Peckham (Ms Harman) on 16 December 2010,  Official Report, column 918W, on Afghanistan: Overseas Aid.

Bangladesh: Floods

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much aid his Department allocated to flood prevention in Bangladesh in each of the last five years.

Alan Duncan: The Department for International Development (DFID) spent the following on flood prevention in Bangladesh between 2005-06 and 2009-10.
	
		
			  Financial year  £ million 
			 2005-06 1.14 
			 2006-07 2.59 
			 2007-08 3.84 
			 2008-09 5.74 
			 2009-10 2.1

Bangladesh: Overseas Aid

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development which projects in Bangladesh are funded by his Department.

Alan Duncan: The Department for International Development (DFID) is supporting the provision of basic social services, creating jobs and income, improving governance, and helping Bangladesh adapt to climate change. Gender and aid effectiveness are key themes across the programme. DFID works closely with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Department for Energy and Climate Change and other Government Departments on climate change and strengthening democracy in Bangladesh. A full list of ongoing and recently completed projects is available on the project database which can be accessed on DFID's website
	http://projects.dfid.gov.uk/Default.aspx?countrySelect=BD-Bangjadesh
	DFID is currently reviewing its programme in Bangladesh as part of the ongoing bilateral aid review, to ensure UK aid achieves maximum value for money for the UK taxpayer, while bringing real benefit to the world's poor and accelerating progress towards the millennium development goals. The review will report shortly.

Bangladesh: Overseas Aid

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much aid his Department provided to Bangladesh in each of the last five years.

Alan Duncan: The Department for International Development (DFID) spent the following amounts on bilateral aid in Bangladesh in each of the last five financial years. This information is contained in DFID's annual publication "Statistics on International Development", which is available in the House Library and on DFID's website.
	
		
			  Financial year  £ million 
			 2005-06 123 
			 2006-07 109 
			 2007-08 129 
			 2008-09 132 
			 2009-10 148

Burma: Overseas Aid

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what projects and organisations in Burma his Department funded in the latest period for which figures are available.

Alan Duncan: In 2010 the main projects funded by the Department for International Development (DFID) in Burma were: the Three Diseases Fund to tackle HIV/AIDS, TB and malaria; the Livelihoods and Food Security Trust Fund; UNICEF's multi-donor Education Fund; Save the Children's pre-school education programme; and a project working with civil society organisations to help Burmese people to have a better say in local decisions which affect their lives. DFID also provided funding for Burmese refugees in Thailand and people displaced by conflict inside Burma through the Thailand Burma Border Consortium, the International Rescue Committee and other non-governmental organisations.
	Further details, including financial allocations, can be found on DFID's project database at
	www.dfid.gov.uk

Burma: Politics and Government

Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment his Department has made of the needs arising from the humanitarian situation in Burma.

Alan Duncan: A comprehensive assessment is not available. It is estimated that more than one third of all households have insufficient money to meet their basic needs, and 10% of the population do not have enough to eat. One in five children die before they reach the age of five, and one in three is malnourished. 380 of every 100,000 women die unnecessarily in pregnancy or childbirth. 70% of people are at risk from malaria, with 4 million cases and 9,000 deaths each year. Over 95% of health costs are met by people themselves, with government expenditure and international assistance for health care amounting to less than US $1 per person per year. Education is also severely underfunded. It is likely that poverty is particularly severe in areas of eastern Burma affected by armed conflict, in Chin and Rakhine States, and in parts of the central dry zone. Around 500,000 people have been displaced by conflict in eastern Burma, of which about 100,000 are living in areas of continuing fighting. Around 150,000 Burmese people live as refugees in camps in Thailand.
	The Department for International Development (DFID) is helping to address these needs through an aid programme focused on improving health care, basic education and income-earning opportunities for rural people; and providing assistance for people displaced by conflict, including Burmese refugees in Thailand. DFID's allocation for Burma for 2010-11 is £28 million, to which a further £3 million is being added in order to contribute to the relief and recovery effort following Cyclone Giri which hit Burma in October 2010.

Departmental Carbon Emissions

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent steps his Department has taken to reduce its carbon emissions to meet the target of reducing central Government carbon emissions by 10 per cent. by June 2011.

Alan Duncan: The Department for International Development (DFID) has identified and is implementing a range of initiatives to achieve a 10% reduction in carbon emissions by June 2011. The biggest reduction in energy consumption will be achieved through reducing the number of IT servers. DFID has also installed a green roof at its East Kilbride headquarters, which has reduced carbon emissions from gas usage. A number of other changes have also been made, such as reconfiguring lighting systems and reducing plant operation times and cooling of IT equipment. In addition, a communications strategy has been developed to encourage staff to save energy by, for example, switching off computers and photocopiers after use.

Developing Countries: Financial Services

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what his Department's policy is on financial sector development, including  (a) branchless banking,  (b) microfinance,  (c) finance for small and medium-sized enterprises and  (d) remittances.

Stephen O'Brien: The Department for International Development (DFID) takes a broad based approach to financial sector development to provide stable, sustainable and affordable financial services to individuals, households and firms in developing countries.
	DFID promotes branchless banking to harness the potential offered by new technologies such as mobile banking, which have made it possible for poor people to access financial services without having to travel long distances to a bank branch and at an affordable cost. We also promote the use of technology to send and receive remittances more cheaply, quickly and safely.
	DFID will explore innovative financial instruments and new models to scale up financing for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in developing countries. We will also support the development of financial market infrastructure, which is essential for attracting commercial players for financing SMEs.
	Building on the lessons learned from microfinance (and in particular from micro-credit), we will continue our work to strengthen microfinance institutions and the development of new products including micro-savings and micro-insurance.

Developing Countries: Maternity Services

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent projects his Department has supported to improve the provision of maternal health services in the developing world.

Stephen O'Brien: Improving reproductive, maternal and newborn health is a key priority for the coalition Government. On 31 December 2010 the Department for International Development (DFID) launched 'Choices for women: planned pregnancies, safer births and healthy newborns'. This new framework for result sets out how the UK will double its efforts to improve reproductive, maternal and newborn health over the coming years, including saving 50,000 maternal lives and 250,000 newborns. Projects that will be supported in order to achieve this are currently being determined as part of the ongoing aid reviews, which will report in the coming months. Information on the new framework and all current maternal health projects is available on the DFID website.

Overseas Aid

Harriet Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many  (a) officials and  (b) external advisers are working on his Department's (i) bilateral aid review, (ii) multilateral aid review and (iii) humanitarian aid review.

Andrew Mitchell: The team co-ordinating the Bilateral Aid Review (BAR), which was in place between May and December 2010, consisted of four officials. Two officials continue to oversee the BAR in its final stages. The Multilateral Aid Review (MAR) team is made up of four officials. Two external reviewers are also acting as peer reviewers during the course of the MAR. The Humanitarian Emergency Response Review (HERR) secretariat consists of four officials, one consultant and one seconded staff member from the Development Assistance Research Associates (DARA). An external Senior Advisory Board, chaired by Lord Ashdown, is responsible for overseeing the content of the HERR report.
	In addition, staff across DFID continue to provide inputs into all three reviews and it is, therefore, not possible to determine the total number of officials working on these reviews without incurring disproportionate cost.

Overseas Aid

Harriet Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what  (a) consultations and  (b) other meetings he (i) has held and (ii) plans to hold with representatives of (A) non-governmental organisations, (B) civil society, (C) national governments and (D) multilateral organisations as part of his Department's multilateral aid review.

Andrew Mitchell: I have written to representatives of national governments, multilateral organisations and civil society organisations, including non-government organisations, to inform them of the Multilateral Aid Review (MAR) and invite comments. I also meet these stakeholders regularly, in one-to-one meetings, through larger groupings such as the British Overseas Aid Group, and during international events such as the UN summit on the millennium development goals in September 2010, or the annual World Economic Forum meeting in Davos. The MAR has been and will continue to be discussed in many of these meetings.
	The results of the MAR will be shared with these stakeholders.

Overseas Aid

Harriet Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what  (a) consultations and  (b) other meetings he (i) has held and (ii) plans to hold with representatives of (A) non-governmental organisations, (B) civil society, (C) national governments and (D) multilateral organisations as part of his Department's bilateral aid review.

Andrew Mitchell: I meet stakeholders regularly, in one-to-one meetings, through larger groupings such as the British Overseas Aid Group (BOAG), and during international events such as the UN summit on the millennium development goals in September 2010, or the annual World Economic Forum meeting in Davos. The Bilateral Aid Review (BAR) has been and will continue to be discussed in many of these meetings.
	Department for International Development (DFID) officials have met representatives of UK based non-government organisations (NGOs) on a number of occasions during the BAR. Officials based in DFID country offices have met with representatives of national government and civil society, including NGOs, throughout the BAR to discuss the review and its possible outcomes. These possible outcomes have also been reviewed and scrutinised by a panel of independent experts, including member of civil society organisations such as Results for Development, the Gates Foundation and the Children's Investment Fund Foundation.
	The results of the BAR will be shared with these stakeholder.

Overseas Aid

Harriet Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what  (a) consultations and  (b) other meetings he (i) has held and (ii) plans to hold with representatives of (A) non-governmental organisations, (B) civil society, (C) national governments and (D) multilateral organisations as part of his Department's humanitarian aid review.

Andrew Mitchell: The Humanitarian Emergency Response Review is an independent review, chaired by Lord Ashdown. All consultations are being held by Lord Ashdown, by the independent members of the Review's Advisory Board, which Lord Ashdown chairs, and by the review secretariat.

Overseas Aid: Private Sector

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether he has made a recent assessment of compliance by his Department's suppliers and partners with the International Labour Organisation's core standards on labour and social matters.

Alan Duncan: There have been no recent assessments of compliance by the Department for International Development's (DFID's) direct suppliers or partners to the International Labour Organisation's (ILO's) core labour standards.
	DFID's advertised contract opportunities require all suppliers to provide details of their social and environmental policies. Short-listed suppliers invited to submit a tender receive a statement setting out DFID's expectation that suppliers wishing to work with DFID can demonstrate compliance with ILO's core standards on labour and social matters, aligned to UK Government sustainable procurement policies.

Overseas Aid: Private Sector

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many officials at each grade work in his Department's Private Sector Department.

Stephen O'Brien: There are currently 18 staff working in the new Private Sector Department, this will increase to 24 people when fully staffed, comprising the following grades.
	
		
			  DFID grade  Equivalent civil service grade  Current staff  Permanent posts when fully staffed 
			 SCS SCS 1 1 
			 A1 Grade 6 5 4 
			 A2 Grade 7 6 9 
			 A2L SEO 3 3 
			 B1(D) Faststream 0 2 
			 B1 HEO 1 2 
			 B2 EO 1 2 
			 C1 AO 1 1 
			 Total - 18 24 
		
	
	Current staff numbers include three temporary posts (two at A1 and one at A2) assigned to specific projects which will end in the coming months.

Overseas Aid: Private Sector

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the aims and objectives are of his Department's Private Sector Department; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen O'Brien: The new Private Sector Department will work to improve the prosperity and well-being of people in poor countries by prompting and catalysing change across the Department for International Development (DFID), to deepen our capability to work with and enable private enterprise in delivering poverty reduction. A work programme will be developed over the coming weeks. DFID will publish details of its new approach to working with the private sector in May 2011.

Overseas Aid: Private Sector

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what plans he has for the future use of public-private partnerships in his Department.

Stephen O'Brien: Governments in developing countries lack sufficient funds to meet infrastructure spending needs, with Africa alone having an annual US$31 billion shortfall in investment. Globally, 1.6 billion people lack electricity, 0.9 billion are without safe water and 2.6 billion are without basic sanitation.
	The Department for International Development (DFID) plans to work with the Private Infrastructure Development Group (PIDG) and other facilities to attract private investment and management into innovative projects to improve the lives of the poor and the economic prospects of their countries.
	One example of the type of project supported is Bugoye, a 13 MW hydro-electric power station in Uganda. The lack of power in Uganda is causing severe constraints on economic development. PIDG is investing $35 million in this project which will help improve the situation.

Overseas Aid: Private Sector

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what consultation he plans to undertake on his Department's new approach to working with the private sector.

Stephen O'Brien: The Secretary of State, officials at the Department for International Development (DFID) and I frequently meet with private sector representatives and numerous other interlocutors to inform and determine DFID's approach to working with the private sector.
	In addition DFID also undertakes formal public consultations on specific policy issues relating to its work with private sector. Recent high level public consultations include on the reform of CDC Group plc and on the Microfinance Capacity Building Facility for Sub-Saharan Africa. Future consultations on specific opportunities for working with the private sector will be arranged as and when required.

Overseas Trade: Ethics

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps he is taking to encourage fair and ethical trade.

Stephen O'Brien: The Department for International Development (DFID) is committed to encouraging fair and ethical trade as a means to encourage responsible business practices in least developed countries. DFID has committed £12 million over 2010-11 to 2013-14 to support the co-ordinated global expansion of Fairtrade, which aims to double the number of producers benefiting, particularly in the poorest countries and conflict affected regions, by the end of 2013. The UK Government also work in partnership with the Ethical Trade Initiative (ETI) and launched the Responsible and Accountable Garments Sector (RAGS) Challenge Fund in 2010, which aim to improve the working conditions of the poor within global supply chains.

Thailand: Education

Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether his Department funds educational projects in Thailand which target migrant children from Burma.

Alan Duncan: The Department for International Development's (DFID's) funding in Thailand focuses primarily on providing food, shelter, other materials and improved access to legal assistance for Burmese people living in refugee camps, and humanitarian assistance for people displaced by conflict inside Burma.
	Burmese migrant children in Thailand have, however, benefited from one project which included support of £17,680 in 2009-10 for primary education.

HEALTH

Accident and Emergency Departments

Ian Lavery: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients were treated in accident and emergency departments  (a) in hospitals in the Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust and  (b) on average in hospitals in England in each of the last five years.

Simon Burns: Data are not available in the format requested.
	A table showing the number of first attendances at accident and emergency (A and E) by organisation in England in each of the last five years has been placed in the Library. Data on the total number of first attendances at A and E departments in England are also provided.
	An extract of the data relating to the number of first attendances at A and E in hospitals in the Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust has been listed as follows.
	
		
			  Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust 
			   Number 
			 2006-07 167,462 
			 2007-08 157,267 
			 2008-09 156,346 
			 2009-10 157,033 
			 2010-11 YTD 84,291 
			  Notes: 1. Data from independent sector services are included from quarter 1 2007-08. 2. Data for 2010-11 have been provided for the year to date (YTD), which is the year to the end of quarter 2 2010-11. 3. Data have been extracted for this query for all providers who submitted data over the last five years. Therefore, changes in the number of attendances reported by individual providers over this five year period will reflect both genuine changes in activity, and the effects of mergers, reconfiguration and the introduction of new providers. 4. Information on the number of attendances at A and E is held, rather than information on the number of individual patients. Data for the number of first attendances have been provided, and these data exclude both planned and unplanned follow-ups at A and E. It is possible for a patient to attend A and E more than once during the year for separate incidents.  Source: Quarterly Monitoring of A and E (QMAE)

Arthritis

Ian Lavery: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent representations he has received on improving  (a) awareness and  (b) early diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis.

Paul Burstow: Departmental records show that from May 2010 there have been seven items of correspondence and three parliamentary questions relating to either the improving awareness or early diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis.
	Departmental officials and the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, my noble Friend Earl Howe, met representatives of the National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society (NRAS) on 22 September 2010 to discuss concerns about national health service management of care pathways for rheumatoid arthritis.

Arthritis: Health Services

Ian Lavery: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he plans to take to ensure that GP consortia have sufficient knowledge of inflammatory arthritis conditions to be able to commission rheumatology services effectively; and if he will make a statement

Paul Burstow: The NHS Commissioning Board will have a vital role in providing national leadership for driving up the quality of care across health commissioning, including inflammatory arthritis services. The Board will do this by supporting general practitioner (GP) consortiums in a number of ways including:
	publishing commissioning guidance and model care pathways, based on the evidence-based quality standards that it has asked the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence to develop;
	designing the Commissioning Outcomes Framework and the new quality premium; and
	helping to ensure that consortiums have access to high-quality information.
	It will be for the Board to determine the details of its work programme and the content of commissioning guidance.
	In addition, a GP consortium pathfinder programme has been established that is testing the different elements involved in GP-led commissioning, exploring some of the issues involved in ensuring effective implementation across the country. A number of pathfinders are focusing specifically on exploring the commissioning of care for patients with long-term conditions.

Baby Care Units

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what plans his Department has to collect information from NHS trusts on the delivery of a two-year outcome assessment for neonatal care;
	(2)  what information his Department plans to collect on the implementation of the Toolkit for High Quality Neonatal Services and Quality Standards in Specialist Neonatal Care as part of the NHS Operating Framework 2011-12.

Anne Milton: It is for local neonatal networks, commissioners and providers to agree priorities for neonatal services and monitor their implementation.
	The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence 'Quality Standard for Specialist Neonatal Care', published in October 2010, includes nine quality statements, one of which is that babies receiving specialist neonatal care have their health outcomes monitored.
	The 'Toolkit for High Quality Neonatal Services', developed by the Neonatal Taskforce and published by the Department in November 2009 as good practice guidance, includes as a marker of good practice that all services ensure that processes are in place to enable the collection of standardised two-year health outcomes for all babies who meet the criteria for these assessments.
	The Operating Framework for the national health service in England 2011-12 does not focus specifically on neonatal services, but on what needs to happen in implementing the first full year of the transition in the Government's ambitious programme of reforms in the NHS.

Breast Cancer: Screening

Mike Freer: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the differential effects on breast cancer screening take-up rates of  (a) purpose built screening units and  (b) mobile units.

Paul Burstow: No assessment has been made of the differential effects on breast screening uptake of purpose built screening units and mobile units.
	However, I would refer the hon. Member to the written answer I gave him on 18 January 2011,  Official Report, column 719W.

Cancer

Paul Uppal: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what  (a) public information and  (b) educational steps his Department is taking to address late diagnosis of cancer.

Paul Burstow: Tackling late diagnosis is central to "Improving outcomes: A Strategy for Cancer", which we published on 12 January. A copy has already been placed in the Library. The earlier a cancer is diagnosed, the sooner treatment can begin and the better the outcome is likely to be.
	We are supporting local initiatives across 109 primary care trusts to raise awareness of bowel, breast and lung cancer. We are piloting a national bowel cancer campaign in two regions of the country to raise pubic awareness of the early signs and symptoms of bowel cancer and encourage early presentation to primary care. To support the regional pilots, we have commissioned Bowel Cancer UK to develop a bowel cancer resource pack for general practitioners (GPs). Local and national evaluation will build the evidence base for cancer awareness interventions.
	Going forward, we are looking at how decision support tools, risk assessment, safety netting practices and audit can be integrated into GP training, appraisal and revalidation to support GPs to diagnose cancer.

Care UK: Contracts

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many health contracts have been awarded to Care UK in each month since May 2010.

Simon Burns: We do not hold information centrally about local national health services and social care contracts. Primary care trusts and local authorities are responsible for their own contracting arrangements and decisions.
	We can confirm that, as at the close of the last accounting period on 31 December 2010, the Department has not entered into any new contracts with Care UK since May 2010.

Cataracts: Older People

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate his Department has made of the cost of treating elderly patients with cataracts in hospitals in the last year for which figures are available.

Simon Burns: The information is not available in the format requested.
	While the Department does collect the average cost of cataract procedures in hospitals, they are not sufficiently detailed to show the costs of treating elderly patients with cataracts.
	The following table contains total reported cost information from the 2009-10 reference costs (the most recent year for which data have been published) for collection categories which relate explicitly to cataract procedures.
	
		
			  Code  Description  Total cost   (£ million)( 1, 2) 
			 BZ01Z Enhanced Cataract Surgery 7.7 
			 BZ02Z Phacoemulsification Cataract Extraction and Lens Implant 243.8 
			 BZ03Z Non-Phacoemulsification Cataract Surgery 5.3 
			 Total(3)  256.7 
			 (1) The total reported cost figures have been rounded to the nearest £100,000 and cover day case, elective, non-elective, out-patient procedure and regular day/night attender activity.  (2) The figures do not include the cost of any treatment provided as part of an out-patient attendance. This is because costs relating to cataract treatment in this setting are not collected separately, but will be included in the total cost of out-patient attendances for ophthalmology, which in 2009-10 was almost £455 million.  (3) The total does not sum due to rounding.   Source:  Figures in the table are taken from schedule 4 (national health service trusts and primary care trusts combined) of the national schedules of reference costs for the financial year 2009-10, available at: www.dh.gov.uk/en/Managingyourorganisation/NHScostingmanual/index.htm

Clinics: Patients

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients were examined at the  (a) Alexandra Avenue Polyclinic and  (b) Pinn Medical Centre who (i) were and (ii) were not registered patients with the surgery running the centre and polyclinic; and if he will make a statement.

Simon Burns: This information is not collected centrally. However, the hon. Member may wish to contact Harrow primary care trust directly for local information on this matter.

Dental Services

Henry Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will review the likely administrative requirements under the Care Quality Commission's proposed arrangements for registration of dental practices.

Simon Burns: The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is required to take a proportionate approach to the regulation of health and social care providers. The Department monitors CQC's financial and operational performance at a strategic level at regular formal accountability meetings.
	Primary dental care providers must register with CQC from 1 April 2011. We are informed by CQC that the process of registering providers is proceeding well.
	All providers of regulated activities, including primary dental care providers, will be required to pay an annual registration fee. CQC has consulted on its fees proposals to apply from 1 April 2011. Its final fees provision is subject to the consent of the Secretary of State.

Departmental Carbon Emissions

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent steps his Department has taken to reduce its carbon emissions to meet the target of reducing central Government carbon emissions by 10 per cent. by June 2011.

Simon Burns: The latest data on performance of each Department towards the 10% reduction target is publicly available on the following website:
	http://data.gov.uk/departmental-performance-co2-emissions-reduction-date
	Performance data are reported monthly, within four weeks of the month end.
	The Department's current estimate of reduction in the level of carbon emissions since May 2010 is just above the 10% required.
	Projects under way that will help us meet our target include:
	replacing our desktop personal computers with more energy efficient network interface boxes and centralising storage;
	decommissioning a number of information technology servers;
	reduction of air-conditioning requirement in server rooms;
	installation of new lighting system on the 6(th) floor of Skipton House;
	installation of new ventilation and air-conditioning system on the 2(nd) floor of Richmond House;
	introduction of Voltage Optimisation;
	replacement of lamps;
	installing sub meters in one building;
	replace Air Handling Unit Fan assembly;
	the move of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) to a more efficient building; and
	Building Management System upgrade works in three Head Quarter buildings.
	The target of reducing emissions by 10% applies to the three HQ buildings in which the Department has direct responsibility for energy use, and those occupied by NHS Connecting Health for MHRA.

Drugs and Alcoholic Drinks: Misuse

Bob Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of  (a) problematic and  (b) non-problematic users of (i) alcohol, (ii) tobacco, (iii) cannabis, (iv) ecstasy, (v) heroine, (vi) cocaine, (vii) crack cocaine, (viii) LSD and (ix) amphetamines in each of the last 10 years.

Anne Milton: Data on smoking prevalence across Great Britain over the past decade is set out in the Office for National Statistics publication "Smoking and drinking among adults, 2009", published 27 January 2011. This document has been placed in the Library.
	Problematic use of alcohol may be assessed as (i) regular excessive drinking, which increases long term health risks and (ii) excessive drinking on single occasions, carrying risks related to intoxication.
	Those who exceed the weekly equivalent (more than 21 units weekly for men, more than 14 units weekly for women) of the national health service guidelines for regular daily consumption are the nearest measure of the first type of problematic drinker. Some individuals who drink regularly within the NHS guidelines will also incur illness or death as a result of their consumption, as risks of certain diseases are lower but still occur at these levels. These data are likely to understate the true numbers of those exceeding the NHS guidelines, as they are based on self-reported consumption.
	Comparable data are only available from 2005 to 2009, the latest year for which figures are available.
	
		
			  Average weekly alcohol consumption among adults aged 16 or over in England 
			None last year  Up to 21 units (men) and 14 units (women)  More than 21 units (men) and 14 units (women) 
			 2005 Percentage 15 59 26 
			  Number (million) 6.0 24.1 10.7 
			  
			 2006 Percentage 14 60 25 
			  Number (million) 5.8 24.8 10.4 
			  
			 2007 Percentage n/a n/a n/a 
			  Number (million) n/a n/a n/a 
			  
			 2008 Percentage 15 62 23 
			  Number (million) 6.4 25.7 9.7 
			  
			 2009 Percentage 16 62 22 
			  Number (million) 6.7 26.0 9.4 
			  Note:  Figures are not available for 2007.  Source:  Office for National Statistics, General Household Survey 2005-2006 and General Lifestyle Survey 2008-2009. 
		
	
	Those drinking more than double the NHS guidelines for daily consumption on their heaviest drinking day in the previous week are usually taken as an approximate estimate for numbers in the population drinking to intoxication on single occasions, sometimes referred to as 'binge drinking'. NHS advice to individuals is to avoid episodes of intoxication. Individuals are best able to gauge how to stay within levels of consumption that enable them to avoid intoxication.
	
		
			  Amount drunk on heaviest drinking day in the last week by adults aged 16 or over in England 
			Drank nothing last week  Up to 8 units (men) and 6 units (women)  More than 8 units (men) and 6 units (women) 
			 2005 Percentage 35 46 19 
			  Number (million) 14.3 18.8 7.7 
			  
			 2006 Percentage 36 45 19 
			  Number (million) 14.9 18.5 7.7 
			  
			 2007 Percentage 35 45 20 
			  Number (million) 14.7 18.5 8.3 
			  
			 2008 Percentage 37 45 18 
			  Number (million) 15.5 18.8 7.5 
			  
			 2009 Percentage 38 45 16 
			  Number (million) 16.2 19.0 6.9 
			  Source:  Office for National Statistics, General Household Survey 2005-2007 and General Lifestyle Survey 2008-2009. 
		
	
	As part of the British Crime Survey, data on self-reported drug use are collected. The following table shows the proportion of adults (aged 16 to 59 years) in England and Wales who have taken the drugs listed in the last year, over the past 10 years.
	
		
			  Proportion of 16 to 59-year-olds in England and Wales reporting use of drugs in the last year, 2000 to 2009-10 
			  2000 2001-02 2002-03 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 
			 Any cocaine 2.0 2.0 2.1 2.5 2.0 2.4 2.6 2.4 3.0 2.5 
			 Powder cocaine 2.0 2.0 2.1 2.4 2.0 2.4 2.6 2.4 3.0 2.4 
			 Crack cocaine 0.3 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.1 0.2 0.2 0.1 0.1 0,2 
			 Ecstasy 1.8 2.2 2.0 2.0 1.8 1.6 1.8 1.5 1.8 1,6 
			 LSD 0.7 0.3 0.3 0.2 0.2 0.3 0.2 0.3 0.2 0,2 
			 Heroin 0.3 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 
			 Any amphetamine n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 1.2 1.0 
			 Amphetamines 2.1 1.6 1.6 1.5 1.4 1.3 1.3 1.0 1.2 1.0 
			 Methamphetamine n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 0.1 0.0 
			 Cannabis 10.5 10.6 10.9 10.8 9.7 8.7 8.2 7.6 7.9 6.6 
			  Note:  From 2001-02 the British Crime Survey moved to reporting on a financial year basis.  Source:  Drug misuse declared: findings from the 2009-10 British Crime Survey.

Drugs: Misuse

Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to ensure availability of treatments for drug misuse for ex-offenders on discharge from prison.

Paul Burstow: The Department has confirmed to drug partnerships that the total amount available from the Government to support community delivery of treatment and recovery in 2011-12 will be £501.7 million.
	From April, most funding for community drug treatment and all funding for prison drug treatment will be the responsibility of the Department. This will allow local areas to bridge the gap more effectively between prison and community treatment, and ensure that more offenders have a chance of recovery from drug misuse and a chance to contribute more fully to society.

General Practitioners

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health by what means he proposes to  (a) measure and  (b) analyse the effectiveness of health and well-being boards in scrutinising GP consortia.

Paul Burstow: In response to consultation comments following the publication of "Equality and Excellence: liberating the NHS", we have decided that local authorities' overview and scrutiny functions will remain separate from the proposed health and well-being boards. We also intend to significantly extend the scrutiny powers available to councils, so that they will have the powers to scrutinise any national health service funded services, whoever provides them.
	Currently, local authorities are commentators on the NHS, in future through health and well-being boards they will have a direct role in shaping health services, setting the strategy for health, social care and public health to meet their local population needs.

General Practitioners

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he plans to make publicly available the responses to his Department's proposals for GP commissioning consortia set out in the Health White Paper Equity and Excellence.

Simon Burns: The Government's response to the consultation "Liberating the NHS: Legislative framework and next steps" summarises the responses received to the consultation on the White Paper "Equity and excellence: Liberating the NHS", and associated consultations, including "Commissioning for Patients". A list of organisations which responded to the consultation is available on the Department's website at:
	www.dh.gov.uk/prod_consum_dh/groups/dh_digitalassets/@dh/@en/@ps/documents/digitalasset/dh_123342.pdf

General Practitioners

Glenda Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he has set an  (a) upper and  (b) lower limit for the individual remuneration of GP members of GP commissioning boards.

Simon Burns: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave her on 21 January 2011,  Official Report, columns 994-95W.

General Practitioners

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has for the  (a) conduct and  (b) evaluation of the GP consortia pilot projects.

Simon Burns: All prospective general practitioner (GP) consortia, whether pathfinders or not, will receive a broad range of development support from their primary care trust (PCT), their strategic health authority (SHA) and the Department. This includes financial support, as well as the assignment of personnel with key skills, such as senior finance managers.
	In addition, we are also establishing a national learning network for GP consortia pathfinders. The network will complement the support given to pathfinders by SHAs and PCTs and has the objective of accelerating the development of GP commissioning by ensuring that the learning of pathfinders is shared through the wider GP community.
	The shadow NHS Commissioning Board will be responsible for producing and publishing an analysis of the findings of the pathfinder programme and set out the lessons learned that will be applied as consortia become formally established during 2012-13.

General Practitioners

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proposals for GP consortia have been received by his Department; and what criteria he plans to use to determine whether they will proceed.

Simon Burns: The Health and Social Care Bill 2011 will provide for general practitioner (GP) consortia to be established from April 2012, prior to taking on full statutory responsibilities from April 2013. The Department has established a rolling programme of GP consortia pathfinders to test the different elements involved in GP-led commissioning and enable emerging GP consortia to get more rapidly involved in current commissioning decisions.
	Groups of GP practices keen to participate in the pathfinder programme put themselves forward to their strategic health authority, who are responsible for considering these expressions of interest.
	The Government's expectation is that any group of GP practices that wishes to become a pathfinder consortium will be able to do so, provided they are able to demonstrate evidence of strong GP leadership and support, local authority engagement and an ability to contribute delivery of the Quality, Innovation, Productivity and Prevention plans for their locality.
	There are 141 pathfinder consortia across England.
	Pathfinders will not necessarily evolve into GP consortia, as GP practices will be able to adjust arrangements before applying to the NHS Commissioning Board for establishment.
	The Commissioning Board will have the duty and powers to authorise consortia, once it is satisfied that they have the necessary arrangements and capacity to fulfil their duties and responsibilities.

General Practitioners

Dave Watts: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he plans to take to  (a) measure and  (b) assess the effectiveness of health and wellbeing boards in scrutinising the GP consortia.

Paul Burstow: In response to consultation comments following the publication of "Equality and Excellence: liberating the NHS", we have decided that local authorities' overview and scrutiny functions will remain separate from the proposed health and wellbeing boards. We also intend to significantly extend the scrutiny powers available to councils, so that they will have the powers to scrutinise any national health service funded services, whoever provides them.
	Currently, local authorities are commentators on the NHS, in future through health and wellbeing boards they will have a direct role in shaping health services, setting the strategy for health, social care and public health to meet their local population needs.

General Practitioners

Yvonne Fovargue: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proposals for GP consortia he has received to date; and what criteria he plans to use to determine whether they should proceed.

Simon Burns: The Health and Social Care Bill 2011 will provide for general practitioner (GP) consortia to be established from April 2012, prior to taking on full statutory responsibilities from April 2013. The Department has established a rolling programme of GP consortia pathfinders to test the different elements involved in GP-led commissioning and enable emerging GP consortia to get more rapidly involved in current commissioning decisions.
	Groups of GP practices keen to participate in the pathfinder programme put themselves forward to their strategic health authority (SHA). SHAs will approve any group of practices to become a pathfinder if they can demonstrate clinical leadership, local authority engagement, and an ability to contribute to the delivery of the local Quality, Innovation, Productivity and Prevention agenda in their locality. They will need to be able to operate in the context of the existing service and financial plans in the health communities they are working in.
	The 52 pathfinders announced in December 2010 are already operational and assuming increased commissioning responsibilities from their primary care trusts under existing legislation. A further 89 groups were announced on 17 January 2011.

General Practitioners

Yvonne Fovargue: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he plans to publish plans for the  (a) establishment and  (b) evaluation of GP consortia pilot projects.

Simon Burns: The Health and Social Care Bill 2011 will provide for general practitioner (GP) consortia to be established from April 2012, prior to taking on full statutory responsibilities from April 2013. The Department has established a rolling programme of GP consortia pathfinders to test the different elements involved in GP-led commissioning and enable emerging GP consortia to get more rapidly involved in current commissioning decisions.
	The shadow NHS Commissioning Board will produce and publish an analysis of the findings of the pathfinder programme and set out the lessons learned that will be applied as consortia become formally established during 2012-13.

General Practitioners

Yvonne Fovargue: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what mechanism he plans to put in place to  (a) measure and  (b) assess the effectiveness of health and wellbeing boards in scrutinising GP consortia.

Paul Burstow: In response to consultation comments following the publication of "Equality and Excellence: liberating the NHS", we have decided that local authorities' overview and scrutiny functions will remain separate from the proposed health and wellbeing boards. We also intend to significantly extend the scrutiny powers available to councils, so that they will have the powers to scrutinise any national health service funded services, whoever provides them.
	Currently, local authorities are commentators on the NHS, in future through Health and Wellbeing Boards they will have a direct role in shaping health services, setting the strategy for health, social care and public health to meet their local population needs.

General Practitioners: North West

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what applications his Department has received for GP commissioning consortia in  (a) Wigan and  (b) the North West.

Simon Burns: The Health and Social Care Bill 2011 will provide for general practitioner (GP) consortia to be established from April 2012, prior to taking on full statutory responsibilities from April 2013. The Department has established a rolling programme of GP consortia pathfinders to test the different elements involved in GP-led commissioning and enable emerging GP consortia to get more rapidly involved in current commissioning decisions.
	Groups of GP practices keen to participate in the pathfinder programme put themselves forward to their strategic health authority. There are no pathfinder consortia in Wigan and 17 pathfinder consortia in the NHS north west.

Health Services: Ex-servicemen

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what recent progress has been made on implementing the recommendation of the report by the hon. Member for South West Wiltshire on the availability to existing veterans of an online mental well-being website and membership of the online support network; by what date he expects to have implemented that recommendation; and what funding is being made available by his Department for such implementation in each financial year to 2014-15;
	(2)  what recent progress has been made in implementing the recommendation of the report by the hon. Member for South West Wiltshire that the partnership agreement with Combat Stress is extended; by what date he expects to have implemented that recommendation; and what funding is being made available by his Department for such implementation in each financial year to 2014-15;
	(3)  what recent progress he has made in implementing the recommendation of the report by the hon. Member for South West Wiltshire relating to the e-learning veterans' health package and embedded outreach professionals; by what date he expects to have implemented that recommendation; and what funding is being made available by his Department for such implementation in each financial year to 2014-15;
	(4)  what recent progress he has made in implementing the recommendation of the report by the hon. Member for South West Wiltshire that community outreach work is undertaken to discover cases and refer appropriately; by what date he expects to have implemented that recommendation; and what funding is being made available by his Department for such implementation in each financial year to 2014-15;
	(5)  what recent progress he has made in implementing the recommendation of the report by the hon. Member for South West Wiltshire that a customised mental well-being website is designed and online support network trialled; by what date he expects to have implemented that recommendation; and what funding is being made available by his Department for such implementation in each financial year to 2014-15.

Simon Burns: The hon. Member for South West Wiltshire (Dr Murrison) was asked by the Prime Minister to review mental health services for serving personnel and veterans. His report, published in October 2010, made a number of recommendations:
	Incorporation of a structured mental health inquiry into existing medical examinations performed while serving-Ministry of Defence (MOD) are currently developing an enhanced mental health assessment that will undergo a three-month trial from April 2011.
	Increasing the number of mental health professionals (from 15 to 30) conducting veterans outreach work from mental health trusts in partnership with a leading mental health charity-the Department is working with the NHS armed forces networks and others to scope the requirements for this with a view to commissioning this service soon after April 2011. The specification will look to ensure that the needs of veterans in all parts of England are met, and this will require some flexibility in the number and type of mental health nurses and where they are placed.
	A Veterans' Information Service will be put in place so that 12 months after a person leaves the armed forces, they will be provided with information offering the opportunity to access guidance and support on health and well-being issues. The Department is developing proposals for this service, working with the Royal British Legion. A limited trial will be conducted during 2011 with roll-out scheduled for early 2012.
	Trial of an online early intervention service for serving personnel and veterans. The Department is working with MOD and the Big White Wall, a voluntary organisation who specialise in providing a supported, online mental health community for vulnerable adults and other target groups to put this service in place. It is expected that this service will be piloted from April 2011 in selected areas.
	Extension of the partnership agreement with Combat Stress-the Department has been working closely with Combat Stress on a number of veterans mental health issues. The Department also links with the devolved Administrations on these and other issues through the MOD/UK Departments of Health Partnership Board. Departmental officials will meet with the new chief executive of Combat Stress in February 2011 at which time the timetable for extending the Combat Stress partnership agreement will be agreed.
	The Department is working closely with the MOD and service charities to implement these recommendations along with work already in hand to provide a 24-hour helpline service for veterans seeking help from Combat Stress and work to develop an e-learning package for general practitioners on veterans and military health issues.
	Following the announcement of Dr Murrison's report, the Government announced that it wished to see the report's recommendations taken forward. Funding has been made available from the £2 million already identified in 2010-11 and subsequent Treasury approved funding of up to £1.8 million per annum over the next four years will be used to deliver on the recommendations where the Department has lead responsibility. The MOD is responsible for delivery and funding of those aspects of the report relating to in-service provision of mental health services. Work on assessing any future costs and resource requirements for implementing the recommendation is currently under way and will be assessed as part for the MOD's planning process, but it is not possible to give any financial data at this time.

Health Services: Finance

Ian Lavery: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether his Department plans to introduce funds similar to that of the Cancer Drugs Fund for conditions other than cancer; and if he will make a statement.

Simon Burns: We have no such plans.
	Over the next three years, the Government will be working towards a new system of pricing for all new branded medicines, where the price of a drug will be linked to its assessed value. Value-based pricing will bring the price the national health service pays more in line with the value that a new medicine delivers, ie the benefits doctors and patients will see from a drug.
	We have published for consultation our proposals for value-based pricing in A new value-based approach to the pricing of branded medicines. The consultation is open until 17 March. A copy has been placed in the Library and the consultation document can be accessed at:
	www.dh.gov.uk/en/Consultations/Liveconsultations/DH_122760

Health Services: Waiting Lists

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his policy is on the  (a) collection and  (b) publication of national data on waiting times for operations and diagnostic tests.

Dave Watts: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has for the future  (a) collection and  (b) publication of data on waiting times for operations and diagnostic tests nationwide.

Yvonne Fovargue: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he plans to continue to  (a) collect and  (b) publish national data on waiting times for operations and diagnostic tests.

Simon Burns: As set out in the Revision to the Operating framework for the NHS in England 2010-11, data on referral to treatment waiting times and waits for diagnostic tests will continue to be published and monitored. These data are published on the Department's website at:
	www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Statistics/index.htm
	and the NHS Choices website at:
	www.nhs.uk/servicedirectories/Pages/ServiceSearch.aspx
	Commissioners can use this information as an additional measure for performance managing providers. Patients can use this information to inform their choices about their health care, for example, which provider they wish to be referred to. Further improvement in waiting times will be driven by publication of waiting times data, patient choice, through sanctions in contracts and competition between services.

Hospitals: Admissions

Ian Lavery: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many emergency admissions there were  (a) to each hospital in the Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust and  (b) on average in hospitals in England in each of the last five years.

Simon Burns: Data are not available in the format requested.
	The following table shows the number of emergency admissions in Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust in each of the last five years, and the total number of emergency admissions in England in each of the last five years.
	
		
			  Number 
			   Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust  England 
			 2009-10 54,512 5,177,887 
			 2008-09 53,345 5,010,670 
			 2007-08 50,881 4,753,368 
			 2006-07 50,208 4,700,017 
			 2005-06 48,738 4,659,054 
			  Notes:  1. Data are for finished admission episodes. The same person may have more than one admission within the year.  2. The quality and coverage of HES data have improved over time, which will affect patterns of growth in activity.   Source:  Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), The NHS Information Centre for health and social care.

Hospitals: Childbirth

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many births there were at  (a) Queen Mary's hospital, Sidcup,  (b) Queen Elizabeth hospital, Woolwich,  (c) Darent Valley hospital, Dartford and  (d) Princess Royal hospital, Farnborough in each of the last five years.

Nick Hurd: I have been asked to reply.
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated January2011:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many births there were at (a) Queen Mary's Hospital, Sidcup, (b) Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Woolwich, (c) Darent Valley Hospital, Dartford and (d) Princess Royal Hospital, Farnborough in each of the last five years.
	Figures for live births by hospital have been compiled from birth registration data. Information on place of birth is provided by the informant at registration rather than by the hospitals themselves.
	
		
			  Live births occurring in selected hospitals, 2005 to 2009 
			  Communal establishment  2005  2006  2007  2008  2009 
			 Princess Royal Hospital, Farnborough 3,400 3,562 3,631 3,667 3,777 
			 Queen Mary Hospital, Sidcup 2,845 2,874 3,027 3,026 3,005 
			 Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Woolwich 3,764 3,953 4,206 4,036 4,000 
			 Darent Valley Hospital, Dartford 2,804 2,881 3,209 3,147 3,529

Influenza: Bexley

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the level of availability of influenza vaccinations in the London borough of Bexley.

Anne Milton: I refer the hon. Member to the written answer I gave the hon. Member for Warrington North (Helen Jones) on 19 January 2011,  Official Report, columns 850-51W.

Injuries: Older People

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information his Department holds on the number of injuries that have resulted from falls amongst the elderly in the last year for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Burstow: Falls are a major cause of in-patient activity for the national health service. There were 274,103 finished admission episodes in 2009-10. The data provided relates only to patients aged 65 and over in England with external injury resulting from a fall who receive in-patient care under one consultant within one healthcare provider. This does not include those elderly people who were seen and treated at accident and emergency.

Learning Disability: Wolverhampton

Paul Uppal: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans are in place to improve the provision of support services for children and adults with learning difficulties in Wolverhampton.

Paul Burstow: The Government remain committed to driving change for adults and children with learning disabilities. Valuing People Now has set priorities until March 2011 of improving outcomes for adults with learning disabilities and their family carers around health, housing and employment. The Government will continue for the future to drive greater personalisation and improved choice and control to improve outcomes for people with learning disabilities and will work with people with learning disabilities and their family carers to ensure that their views are included in the future transformation of the national health service and the new social care vision and across other policies like employment and housing.
	The Department is collaborating with the Department for Education ahead of the publication of the Green Paper on Special Educational Needs and Disabilities. The Green Paper will explore how we can achieve public services which are centred on the needs of families and children, joining up support from education, health and social care, particularly for those with the most severe and complex needs and at key transitions.
	NHS West Midlands undertook a review of Child and Young People Disability Services last year, including learning disabilities. Following these reviews each primary care trust developed an action plan with the local authority. Progress is currently being reviewed.
	The Health and Social Care Bill will require the establishment of a health and wellbeing board in every upper tier local authority by April 2013. Health and wellbeing boards will bring together elected representatives and the key NHS, public health, social care, and children's services leaders and patient representatives to work in partnership. This will ensure services are joined up around the needs of people using them rather than arbitrarily divided into service types, leading to better outcomes for people using services.

Medical Treatments: Shortages

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what reports he has received of current shortages of medicines within the pharmacy retail sector; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  whether his Department is taking steps to reduce the amount of time spent by community pharmacists on sourcing  (a) Femara (letrozole) and  (b) other pharmaceutical drugs.

Simon Burns: Ministers have had representations from supply chain organisations, health care professionals and patients, on the issue of medicines supply. The Department, Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency and pharmaceutical supply chain stakeholders are working collaboratively to better understand and mitigate the impact of supply difficulties so that patients receive the medicines they need in a timely manner, and any arrangements take account of the time needed by pharmacists to source the medicines.
	We have been in contact with Novartis, the suppliers of Femara (letrozole) tablets. They have confirmed that adequate supplies of this medicine are available for United Kingdom patients. If pharmacists have problems obtaining it from their wholesaler, they can contact Novartis customer services to arrange a direct supply to the pharmacy.
	The Department is aware of the concerns that pharmacy contractors have raised about the work load caused by shortages and changes in distribution. As part of the 2009-10 and 2010-11 community pharmacy contractual framework funding settlement, recognition was made of the increased time taken by pharmacists and their staff in obtaining medicines, given the shortages being experienced.

Mental Health Services

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cognitive behavioural therapists are working in the NHS in  (a) Sunderland,  (b) the north-east and  (c) England.

Simon Burns: The NHS Information Centre does not identify this speciality in its annual census. This category of profession is counted under the psychiatry group, and the following table gives the numbers employed as at 30 September 2009, the date of the last NHS Workforce Census.
	
		
			  Table 1: Hospital and Community Health Services (HCHS): Medical and dental staff within each specialty by specialty group and grade, England, at 30 September 2009 
			   All staff 
			   Number  Full-time equivalent 
			 Psychiatry group 9,934 9,220 
			
			 Child and adolescent psychiatry 1,098 990 
			 Forensic psychiatry 572 549 
			 General psychiatry 6,348 5,943 
			 Learning disabilities 519 454 
			 Old age psychiatry 1,278 1,180 
			 Psychotherapy 119 104 
			  Source: The Information Centre, Medical and Dental Workforce Census.

Mental Health Services

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many patients were treated under the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies programme in each quarter of the last three years;
	(2)  how many therapists have been trained under the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies programme in each quarter of the last three years.

Paul Burstow: The Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) programme began treating patients in October 2008 and the latest figures available are for the quarter that ended in September 2010. These figures give the number of patients entering treatment in the first two years of activity. The total is 399,460 and the programme is on track to achieve its objective of treating 900,000 patients in the first three years.
	
		
			   Patients entering IAPT treatment 
			  2008  
			 October to December 17,401 
			   
			  2009  
			 January to March 26,391 
			 April to June 23,074 
			 July to September 21,991 
			 October to December 61,703 
			   
			  2010  
			 January to March 75,179 
			 April to June 83,946 
			 July to September 89,775 
		
	
	With regard to the number of therapists that have been trained, we do not collect this information in the format requested. However, the following table shows the total numbers beginning training in each of the last three years.
	
		
			   IAPT trainees in place 
			 2008-09 860 
			 2009-10 1,627 
			 2010-11 1,173 
			 Total 3,660 
		
	
	About 900 existing therapists have been trained in supervision to support the trainees.
	About 1,450 existing therapists have received top-up training to comply with IAPT quality standards.
	The Health settlement in the spending review included funding to expand access to talking therapies. The money will complete the roll-out of the nationwide training programme and services which began in 2008 and begin to extend the benefits of talking therapies to the young, the elderly, those with serious mental illness and those who have anxiety disorders or depression alongside long-term physical health conditions like diabetes, heart or lung disease. By March 2011, the roll-out will achieve 60% geographical coverage of England. The spending review settlement will complete this by 2014-15.

Mental Health Services

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 22 November 2010,  Official Report, column 130W, on mental health services: manpower, what progress the Government has made on meeting its target to have 3,650 new therapy workers in place in the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies programme by April 2011.

Paul Burstow: By January 2011 3,660 new therapy workers were in place. We will shortly publish a cross-Government mental health strategy and Improving Access to Psychological Therapies implementation plan which will set out the next steps.

Mental Health: Research

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of the NHS budget for medical research was spent on research into mental health issues each year since 2005.

Paul Burstow: The proportion of the national health service research and development (R and D) revenue budget spent on research into mental health issues is shown in the following table.
	
		
			   Proportion (%) 
			 2005-06 9.7 
			 2006-07 9.7 
			 2007-08 9.0 
			 2008-09 8.6 
			 2009-10 (1)- 
			 (1) Not yet available. 
		
	
	Data on NHS R and D spend on mental health issues in 2009-10 is currently being identified by National Institute for Health Research co-ordinating centres. The Department expects that information on the proportion of the NHS R and D budget spent on mental health research in that year will be available shortly, and I will place a copy in the Library.

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases of MRSA infection were identified in NHS facilities in 2010.

Simon Burns: There is currently published data available for the first 11 months of 2010, providing details of the number of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bacteraemias (bloodstream infections). A full year's data for 2010 will be available when data for December 2010 are published on 2 February 2010.
	Published monthly data indicate that between January 2010 and November 2010 there were a total of 1,514 MRSA bacteraemias reported by acute national health service trusts in England. Of this number, 766 were apportioned to acute trusts.
	 Notes:
	1. All acute trusts in England are obliged to report all cases of MRSA bloodstream infection to the Health Protection Agency (HPA). Data on other MRSA infections, that did not enter the bloodstream, are not included as they are not part of this mandatory surveillance system.
	2. Trusts report all cases for which their laboratories process the specimens. This may not always reflect where the infection was acquired.
	3. MRSA bacteraemias are considered to be "trust apportioned' cases if they meet all of these three criterion:
	the location where the specimen was taken is "acute trust' or is not known;
	the patient is an in-patient, emergency assessment, or is not known; and
	the date that the specimen was taken was on or after day three of admission to hospital (where the day of admission is day one).

NHS Direct

Ian Lavery: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many calls to NHS Direct have resulted in  (a) a home visit from a GP and  (b) an emergency referral to hospital in each of the last three years.

Simon Burns: The information requested regarding general practitioner (GP) home visit referrals is not collected, as GP home visits are not available as part of NHS Direct's core 0845 4647 service.
	The information requested regarding emergency referrals is shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Number of emergency referrals from NHS Direct's 0845 4647 service, 2008-10 
			   2008  2009  2010 
			 Accident and Emergency 337,773 313,109 357,245 
			 999 152,074 145,168 169,947 
			  Source: Validated but unpublished information on emergency referrals from NHS Direct.

NHS Direct: Manpower

Ian Lavery: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many staff were employed at each NHS Direct contact centre; and what the number of calls received by each call centre was in each of the last three years.

Simon Burns: The information requested is not collected. Such information as is available is in the following table:
	
		
			  Number of full-time equivalent front-line staff (including health advisers, nurse advisers, senior nurse advisers, health information advisers, and dental nurse advisers) at each NHS Direct contact centre, 2008-10 
			   September each year 
			  Contact centre  2008  2009  2010 
			 Chesterfield 14.28 10.59 13.37 
			 Derby 14.43 10.11 12.45 
			 Mansfield 19.10 19.14 20.54 
			 Nottingham 115.95 118.41 103.04 
			 Bedford 60.22 56.38 56.16 
			 Chelmsford 73.55 70.57 56.41 
			 Ipswich 14.56 10.88 14.08 
			 Norwich 20.78 21.66 18.37 
			 Beckenham 65.36 57.47 51.26 
			 Stevenage - 7.13 - 
			 Ilford 32.70 30.46 28.68 
			 Southall 46.04 - - 
			 Blackburn 5.60 9.40 8.80 
			 Bolton 143.84 136.57 118.09 
			 Bolton Middlebrook - - 1.60 
			 Carlisle 14.00 12.63 10.99 
			 Dental services 11.15 21.39 14.40 
			 Hull 50.20 42.00 43.55 
			 Kendal 9.48 7.44 6.12 
			 Liverpool 6.33 8.64 7.51 
			 Nantwich 22.75 31.84 28.00 
			 Newcastle 115.80 120.55 107.94 
			 Sheffield 48.58 49.66 45.69 
			 Stockton 14.81 16.21 19.01 
			 Wakefield 101.74 116.43 120.70 
			 West Yorkshire Urgent Care - 26.68 13.11 
			 AZ Asthma Project 6.41 - - 
			 Caterham 22.68 22.88 22.32 
			 Chatham 43.45 51.95 41.97 
			 Milton Keynes 56.23 59.17 50.24 
			 Southampton 67.41 60.64 55.29 
			 Bristol 84.65 85.56 76.99 
			 Exeter 52.32 56.64 52.61 
			 Ferndown 9.53 9.47 6.53 
			 Plymouth 9.87 6.20 5.53 
			 Taunton 7.60 8.60 7.00 
			 Truro 6.53 8.40 6.51 
			 Dudley 96.04 91.47 86.50 
			 Stafford 83.36 64.68 62.40 
			 Total 1,567.34 1,537.91 1,393.77 
			  Note: The number of calls received by each contact centre is not collected, however the total number of calls to NHS Direct is shown in the following table:  Source: Validated but unpublished information from NHS Direct. 
		
	
	
		
			  Total calls to NHS Direct (including calls to 0845 4647 and other commissioned services) 
			   2008  2009  2010 
			 Calls to NHS Direct 5,699,037 5,670,555 5,045,476 
			  Source: Validated but unpublished information from NHS Direct.

NHS: Drugs

Teresa Pearce: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the monetary value was of each contract placed with  (a) GlaxoSmithKline,  (b) Pfizer,  (c) Sanofi Aventis,  (d) AstraZeneca and  (e) Novartis by his Department and its agencies in each of the last five years.

Simon Burns: The Department and its agencies have undertaken contracting activity with the named suppliers over the past five years in the following areas:
	1. Contracts for supply to the Department in the areas of childhood vaccines, pandemic preparedness, essential medicines stockpiles and emergency preparedness planning.
	2. Framework agreements let by the Department (and prior to January 2010 the NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency) for supply of medicines to national health service trusts.
	Information on contracts in support of the pandemic influenza preparedness, emergency preparedness and the childhood vaccines programmes cannot be provided as it is deemed to be commercially confidential.
	The estimated monetary value, excluding VAT, of essential medicines contracts and framework agreements used by the national health service placed with the named suppliers by the Department in the last five years is recorded in the following table:
	
		
			  Supplier name  Category  Sum of  c ontract value in period (£1)( 2)  Number of framework agreements/contracts 
			 Astra Zeneca Branded medicines 2,371 1 
			 Astra Zeneca total  2,371 1 
			 
			 Novartis Branded medicines 118,660,700 25 
			  Generic medicines 73,253,525 15 
			 Novartis total  191,914,225 40 
			 
			 Pfizer Branded medicines 72,915,281 21 
			  Generic medicines 18,168,448 15 
			 Pfizer total  91,083,729 36 
			 
			 Sanofi Aventis Branded medicines 220,833,713 33 
			  Generic medicines 16,841,125 15 
			  Essential medicines(1) 12,617,385 3 
			 Sanofi Aventis total  250,292,224 51 
			 
			 GlaxoSmith Kline Branded medicines 185,499,263 20 
			  Generic medicines 17,349,368 17 
			 GlaxoSmith Kline total  202,848,630 37 
			 
			 Grand total  736,141,180 165 
			 (1) Essential medicines represent exact invoiced expenditure. (2) Values are shown to the nearest £1 total. 
		
	
	The values provided for branded and generic medicines supplied via framework agreements are based on estimated spend and may not reflect actual expenditure under the contracts.

NHS: Drugs

Teresa Pearce: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether any former officials of his Department have sought permission to join  (a) GlaxoSmithKline,  (b) Pfizer,  (c) Sanofi Aventis,  (d) AstraZeneca and  (e) Novartis in the last 12 months.

Simon Burns: In the last 12 months, no official or former official from the Department has sought permission to join GlaxoSmithKline, Pfizer, Sanofi Aventis, Astra Zeneca or Novartis.
	All civil servants must obtain Government approval before taking any form of full-time, part-time or fee-paid employment in the United Kingdom, or overseas, with a public or private company or in the service of a foreign government or its agencies. This rule also applies to any former civil servant within two years of their leaving Crown employment.
	Since January 2009, 36 Departmental employees or former employees submitted applications seeking approval to take up outside business appointments. Of these, 13 applications were approved unconditionally and 24 had restrictions imposed. Restrictions imposed are usually in the form of a period of delay between leaving the civil service and taking up the external post.

Northwick Park Hospital: Manpower

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many  (a) medical and  (b) non-medical staff were employed at Northwick Park hospital on 1 April 2010; and if he will make a statement.

Simon Burns: This information is not held in the format requested. Information is available at trust level.
	
		
			  National health service staff in the North West London Hospitals NHS Trust by main staff group 
			   Headcount at 30 April 2010 
			 All Hospital and Community Health Service (HCHS) doctors (non locum) 724 
			 All HCHS doctors (locum) 12 
			 All Non-Medical staff 3,785 
			 Professionally qualified clinical staff 2,201 
			 Qualified nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff 1,473 
			 Qualified scientific, therapeutic and technical staff 728 
			 Support to clinical staff 1,180 
			 Support to doctors and nursing staff 955 
			 Support to scientific, therapeutic and technical staff 226 
			 NHS infrastructure support 408 
			 Central functions 262 
			 Hotel, property and estates 66 
			 Managers and senior managers 80 
			  Notes: 1. Headcount totals are unlikely to equal the sum of components. When overall headcount figures are split into subcategories the sum of the subtotals may exceed the overall sum due to inclusion of staff in multiple subcategories. 2. Monthly data are extracted on the final day of each month. The data in the table, therefore, are in respect of 30 April 2010, which is the date nearest to, and after, the date specified in the question. 3. As from 21 July 2010, the NHS Information Centre has published experimental, provisional monthly NHS workforce data. Figures obtained from provisional, experimental statistics may be revised from month to month as issues are uncovered and resolved. The monthly workforce data is not directly comparable with the annual workforce census. It only includes those staff on the Electronic Staff Record and does not include primary care staff or bank staff. It also includes locum doctors (not counted in the annual census). There are also new methods of presenting data; headcount methodology has changed and there is now a role count. This information is available, in respect of September 2009 onwards, at the following website: www.ic.nhs.uk/pubs/provisionalmonthlyhchsworkforce  Data Quality: The NHS Information Centre for health and social care seeks to minimise inaccuracies and the effect of missing and invalid data but responsibility for data accuracy lies with the organisations providing the data. Methods are continually being updated to improve data quality where changes impact on figures already published. This is assessed but unless it is significant at national level figures are not changed. Impact at detailed or local level is footnoted in relevant analyses.  Source: The NHS Information Centre Provisional Monthly Workforce Statistics

Northwick Park Hospital: Operations

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many operations were carried out at Northwick Park hospital in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Simon Burns: This information is not held in the format requested. Information is available at trust level.
	
		
			  Count of finished consultant episodes (FCEs) where a primary or secondary procedure or intervention was carried out in Northwest London Hospitals NHS Trust 
			   Number of FCEs 
			 2009-10 63,611 
			 2008-09 61,517 
			 2007-08 59,766 
			 2006-07 56,314 
			 2005-06 54,875 
			  Notes: 1. Data are provided in respect of Northwest London Hospitals NHS Trust rather than Northwick Park Hospital, as hospital level data are not held centrally. 2. The data provided in the table refer to the number of episodes of care where at least one procedure or intervention was carried out, rather than a count of the number of operations, which is not collected as part of the Hospital Episode Statistics (HES). 3. A finished consultant episode (FCE) is a continuous period of admitted patient care under one consultant within one healthcare provider. FCEs are counted against the year in which they end. Figures do not represent the number of different patients, as a person may have more than one episode of care within the same stay in hospital or in different stays in the same year. 4. Number of episodes with a main or secondary procedure: The number of episodes where the procedure (or intervention) was recorded in any of the 24 (12 from 2002-03 to 2006-07 and four prior to 2002-03) procedure fields in an HES record. A record is only included once in each count, even if the procedure is recorded in more than one procedure field of the record. Note that more procedures are carried out than episodes with a main or secondary procedure. For example, patients under going a 'cataract operation' would tend to have at least two procedures-removal of the faulty lens and the fitting of a new one-counted in a single episode. 5. Assessing growth through time: HES figures are available from 1989-90 onwards. Changes to the figures over time need to be interpreted in the context of improvements in data quality and coverage (particularly in earlier years), improvements in coverage of independent sector activity (particularly from 2006-07) and changes in NHS practice. For example, apparent reductions in activity may be due to a number of procedures which may now be undertaken in outpatient settings and so are no longer included in admitted patient HES data.  Source: The NHS Information Centre, Hospital Episode Statistics

Out-patients: Attendance

Andrew Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the rates of appointments missed by patients for hospital appointments were  (a) nationally and  (b) in Yorkshire in the latest period for which figures are available and what estimate he has made of the costs to the NHS of such missed appointments in the latest period for which figures are available.

Simon Burns: The rates of missed appointments nationally and in Yorkshire in the latest period for which figures are available are shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Rate of missed appointments for primary care trust commissioners in England and Yorkshire: Quarter 2 of 2010-11 
			  Name  Total attendances  Total attendances not attended  Did not attend rate (percentage) 
			 England 14,709,875 1,448,674 9.85 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber Strategic Health Authority 1,561,877 141,181 9.04 
			  Source: Department of Health Quarterly Activity Return 
		
	
	The Department does not collect data on the costs to the national health service of missed appointments.

Queen Mary's Hospital Sidcup

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent representations he has received on the future of Queen Mary's hospital, Sidcup.

Simon Burns: The Secretary of State has received various representations, including correspondence, parliamentary questions, meetings, telephone calls and ministerial visits, from a range of parties on the future of Queen Mary's hospital, Sidcup.

Queen Mary's Hospital Sidcup: Accident and Emergency Departments

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the likely effect of the temporary closure of the accident and emergency department at Queen Mary's hospital, Sidcup on services at  (a) Queen Elizabeth hospital, Woolwich,  (b) Princess Royal hospital, Farnborough and  (c) Darent Valley hospital, Dartford.

Simon Burns: This is a matter for the local national health service. NHS London is assured that the temporary closure of the accident and emergency department at Queen Mary's hospital, Sidcup was on the grounds of clinical safety.

Roding Hospital: Standards

Lee Scott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent representations he has received on  (a) the standard of training in resuscitation techniques at the Roding hospital and  (b) the death of Charles Leahy at that hospital; and if he will make a statement.

Simon Burns: We have received representations on these issues from one member of the public and from one Member of Parliament. Health care providers in England, including independent sector hospitals, are required to register with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and to meet registration requirements that set essential levels of safety and quality. The CQC has a range of enforcement powers that it can use if providers do not meet the registration requirements.

School Meals

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of health regulations in respect of school meals.

Sarah Teather: I have been asked to reply.
	In September 2009, Ofsted undertook a thematic review of food provision in 38 schools. The review found that good progress has been made towards meeting the school food standards, with most schools providing evidence that their lunchtime menus had been analysed against the nutrient-based standards and the majority of the primary schools, and some of the secondary schools met the standards in full. The report, "Food in schools-Progress in implementing the new standards", is available on Ofsted's website at:
	www.ofsted.gov.uk
	The School Food Trust undertook a study of the food and drink provision in 136 primary schools in 2009. The findings suggest that the food provided, choices and consumption were healthier by comparison with the primary school food survey undertaken in 2005. A full report is available on the School Food Trust's website at:
	www.schoolfoodtrust.org.uk
	A similar survey is currently being conducted in secondary schools. Findings are expected to be published in December 2011.

Sexually Transmitted Diseases

Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to ensure the effectiveness of campaigns to limit the spread of sexually transmitted diseases.

Anne Milton: It is departmental practice to continually evaluate national-level sexual health campaigns to ensure that they are effective.

Smoking: Cheshire

Graham Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the smoking prevalence rate is in  (a) Halton and St Helens,  (b) Western Cheshire and  (c) East and Central Cheshire primary care trust area.

Anne Milton: Smoking prevalence rates are not available for primary care trust areas. Smoking prevalence rates for the period April 2009 to March 2010 among adults aged 18 or over in the relevant local authorities are shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Local authority  Smoking prevalence among adults aged 18 or over as a percentage April 2009 to  March 2010 
			 Halton 24.3 
			 St Helens 24.5 
			 Cheshire West and Chester 20.5 
			 Cheshire East 19.0 
			  Source: Department of Health. Figures are based on experimental data from the Office for National Statistics' Integrated Household Survey, which are subject to possible revision.

Strokes: Health Services

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent discussions he has had on the likely effect on specialist stroke networks of his proposed changes to the NHS; and if he will make a statement.

Simon Burns: The stroke clinical networks and the central team that supports them will continue to be funded in 2011-12. During 2011-12 consideration will be given to where the functions undertaken by these networks will best fit into the new arrangements.

Strokes: Patients

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what steps he is taking to increase the level of early supported discharge for stroke patients; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what steps his Department is taking to increase the involvement of adult social services departments in early supported discharge for stroke patients.

Simon Burns: The Accelerating Stroke Improvement Programme has been working via networks to increase the proportion of patients supported by a stroke-skilled Early Supported Discharge team. This work has included promoting engagement between health and social care providers.
	The Health and Social Care Bill sets out new arrangements for the national health service. These include setting up health and well-being boards which will bring together elected representatives and the key NHS, public health, social care leaders and patient representatives to work in partnership. This will ensure service are joined up around the needs of people using them, and that resources are invested in the best way to improve outcomes for local communities, including consideration of co-ordination of care across health and social care boundaries.

Strokes: Physiotherapy

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to ensure greater provision of specialist stroke physiotherapy in the community.

Simon Burns: The provision of appropriate, tailored and flexible rehabilitation is known to improve long-term recovery and reduce long-term disability in people with stroke. The Accelerating Stroke Improvement Programme has a focus on improving access to early supported discharge arrangements which will support development of stroke specific rehabilitation, including physiotherapy, in the community.
	The changes planned in the way the national health service is organised are aimed at ensuring services are commissioned in a way that joins up health and social care provision and focuses on the needs of the individual as a whole. This will help to ensure that each patient receives the right services and support.

Sunbeds: Liverpool

Stephen Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will estimate the number of teenagers in Liverpool who regularly use sunbeds.

Anne Milton: The Department does not routinely collect information on the number and age of persons using sunbeds in England. However, Cancer Research UK in 2009 undertook a study of 'Six Cities' looking at variations in sunbed use by 11 to 17-year-olds, which included Liverpool. Information on the study is available at:
	http://info.cancerresearchuk.org/cancerstats/types/skin/sunbeds
	The South West Public Health Observatory study (SWPHO) also provided data on sunbeds in different parts of the country. The study is available on the website at:
	www.swpho.nhs.uk/resource/item.aspx?RID=68377
	Further information is available from the report of the Committee on Medical Aspects of Radiation in the Environment.
	www.comare.org.uk/documents/COMARE13thReport.pdf

Surgery

Ian Lavery: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many instances of elective surgery there were  (a) in each hospital in the Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust and  (b) on average in hospitals in England in each of the last five years.

Simon Burns: Data on the number of instances of elective surgery at individual hospital level are not collected centrally. The numbers of elective finished admission episodes with either a main procedure or intervention for Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, and the average for hospital providers in England, are shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Elective finished admission episodes with a main procedure or intervention 
			  Number 
			   Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust  England 
			   Total elective finished admission episodes  Total elective finished admission episodes  Number of hospital providers which submitted data to HES( 1)  Average number of finished elective admission episodes per provider 
			 2009-10 47,832 6,691,947 447 14,971 
			 2008-09 46,739 6,429,141 451 14,255 
			 2007-08 44,466 5,968,760 422 14,144 
			 2006-07 42,207 5,556,285 368 15,099 
			 2005-06 41,859 5,263,714 511 10,301 
			 (1) Hospital providers are organisations acting as a health care provider, including NHS trusts, PCTs and may include treatment centres and independent sector providers.   Note:  Elective finished admission episodes do not represent the number of inpatients as a person may have more than one admission in a year.   Source:  Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), The NHS Information Centre for health and social care.

Tattoos

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will assess the effectiveness of the implementation of the provisions of the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1982 on the licensing of tattooists and the prevention of children under the age of 16 years being tattooed; and if he will make a statement.

Anne Milton: The implementation of provisions to regulate tattooing in the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1982 is a matter for local authorities, as they decide whether the legislation should be enacted in their area according to local circumstances. Similarly, the tattooing of minors, which is an offence under the Tattooing of Minors Act 1969, is also an issue best addressed locally.

Teenage Pregnancy

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the rate of births with mothers aged 15 to 17 years was in each  (a) local authority area,  (b) health authority area and  (c) constituency in the latest year for which figures are available.

Nick Hurd: I have been asked to reply.
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated January 2011:
	.
	The tables provide rates of live births in England and Wales to mothers aged under 18 in each (a) Local Authority District and (b) Primary Care Organisation for 2009, the most recent year for which figures are available.
	A copy of these tables has been placed in the House of Commons library.
	Due to the sensitive nature of teenage pregnancies and the risk of identifying individuals, ONS does not publish births to mothers aged under 18 for smaller areas. Consequently, rates by (c) parliamentary constituency are not provided.
	Information on live births is routinely published at different geographies in the 'Live births by area of usual residence' package on the ONS website. The information is available at:
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/statbase/Product.asp?vlnk=14408

Wheelchairs

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he plans to implement the recommendations of Raising our Sights, the Mansell Report on wheelchair services; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Burstow: Departmental officials are currently looking very carefully at the detailed recommendations including wheelchair services that are set out in this report and how these support our objectives to improve outcomes for people with learning disabilities who have complex needs and their families. The elements of good service and good practice examples included in this report sit very clearly within the programme of work which Government are leading to support independent living for people with learning disabilities and to support local service planning and commissioning to meet identified needs in their locality.
	The Department's response to this report will be published shortly.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Animal Experiments

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 5 July 2010,  Official Report, column 68W, on animal experiments, by what date she expects a ban on the testing of household products on animals to have been implemented.

Lynne Featherstone: I am not yet in a position to give a date on when a ban on the testing of household products on animals will be implemented.
	We are currently finalising the practical arrangements for its implementation. I expect to announce these arrangements shortly.

Arrest Warrants

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much her Department has spent on detaining persons subject to a request under a European arrest warrant since the inception of such warrants.

Nick Herbert: The Home Office has not incurred any costs associated with the detention of persons in custody pursuant to European arrest warrants. The cost of detaining a person in a prison in England and Wales would be a matter for the Secretary of State for Justice. The Home Office understands however that the National Offender Management Service's ('NOMS') computer system does not record the relevant data.

Asylum: Housing

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 13 January 2011,  Official Report, columns 398-9W, on asylum: housing, whether she has made an assessment of the proportion of  (a) all people seeking asylum and  (b) people seeking asylum with children at school who will be required to move as a result of the reduction in the number of individual and consortia of local authorities who provide housing to people seeking asylum through contracts with the UK Border Agency; and if she will make a statement.

Damian Green: As part of the process of extending some contracts, all providers were asked specifically to respond detailing how they intended to minimise disruption to asylum seekers during any relocation process. The responses were evaluated prior to decisions being taken to extend current contracts.
	Up to 900 families remain potentially affected by relocations. Discussions continue with accommodation providers in order to establish the true number of families likely to be subject to a physical move, the extent to which this could involve disruption for school age children and the mitigation that can be put in place around this.

Counter-Terrorism

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  if she will set up a judicial inquiry under the Inquiries Act 2005 into the use of undercover police officers to investigate peaceful protest groups and their constituent members and the policing of peaceful protest; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  on what date the three Association of Chief Police Officers units involved in tackling domestic extremism will be moved to the Metropolitan Police Service and made subject to its governance systems; and if she will make a statement;
	(3)  which hon. Members are listed on the domestic extremism database.

Nick Herbert: The Government do not consider that a judicial inquiry is needed in view of the IPCC investigation into the disclosure of material by Nottinghamshire police relating to the discontinued trial of six individuals; Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary's wider review of intelligence handling by national domestic extremism police units; and an operational review by the Serious Organised Crime Agency into the actions and handling of Mark Kennedy during his deployment as an undercover officer.
	The Government support plans to move the governance of the national domestic extremism police units to a lead police force. A date for the transfer has not yet been agreed.
	The Home Office does not have access to a police database of domestic extremists, nor does it hold the information on police databases of domestic extremists. It is open to any individual to make a Subject Access Request to the police under the provisions of the Data Protection Act 1998.

Criminal Records Bureau: Finance

Louise Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what savings to the public purse in monetary terms she expects as a result of planned changes to the Criminal Records Bureau budget in each year of the Comprehensive Spending Review period;
	(2)  if she will place in the Library the criteria the Criminal Records Bureau is using to determine the reduction in staffing levels over the Comprehensive Spending Review period.

Lynne Featherstone: The Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) has been given a provisional target of a reduction of 100 posts over a four-year period as part of the Government-wide comprehensive spending review, 2010. CRB senior management will consult with its stakeholders, including the Home Office and the trade union side, on how these reductions will be made and the criteria that will be applied. In doing so, CRB will apply the Home Office's Restructuring, Redeployment and Redundancy policy.
	It is too soon to establish the savings over the four-year period of the review, but it is expected that the reduction in staffing levels will eventually result in annual savings of £2.7 million against our baseline of £17.15 million.

Departmental Civil Servants

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the  (a) name and  (b) salary is of each senior civil servant who has left her Department since May 2010.

Damian Green: The Department's obligations under the Data Protection Act do not allow us to disclose, to a third party, personal information.
	In the period from 1 May 2010 to 26 January 2011, 39 senior civil servants have permanently left the Department and its agencies. Of these, 27 were senior civil servants (SCS) pay band 1, nine were SCS pay band 2, two were SCS pay band 3 and one was the permanent secretary.
	The pay range for SCS pay band 1 is £58,200-£117,800; the pay range for SCS pay band 2 level is £82,900-£162,500 and pay range for SCS pay band 3 level is £101,500-£208,500.

Departmental Communication

Alok Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures she has undertaken to reduce jargon and promote plain English in Departmental communications.

Nick Herbert: The Home Office endeavours to use plain English in all channels used to communicate with the public (e.g. websites, correspondence etc). We have policies in place that insist that all content is written in plain English and jargon-free language. All communication is checked against departmental style guides for ease of understanding, including removal of jargon.
	All staff contributing to our channels are trained in the use of plain English.
	The Home Office website has been accredited with the Crystal Mark by the plain English campaign and promotes the use of straightforward, well-structured language. We also base our written communications on recommendations by the plain English campaign.
	Plain English is also promoted in replies from across the Department to correspondence from the public and MPs.

Departmental Consultants

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much her Department has spent on consultancy since May 2010.

Damian Green: The Home Department spent a total of £34 million on consultancy services from the beginning of May to the end of December 2010. The Department is on track to reduce consultancy spend by 50% by the end of this financial year.

Departmental Press Releases

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 28 June 2010,  Official Report, column 1214W, on departmental press releases, what the  (a) purpose,  (b) date,  (c) time and  (d) subject was of each of the formal briefings; and whether her Department has provided informal briefings to the media since 26 May 2010.

Nick Herbert: The purpose of formal briefings is to provide media outlets with accurate information setting out the purpose and intention of policy announcements and to provide an explanation of specialist information such as statistical releases.
	The date and subject of each of the nine formal media briefings held since 26 May 2010 is shown in the following table. Timings are not recorded. The Department has not provided informal briefings to the media since 26 May 2010.
	
		
			  Media briefings held since 26 May  2010 
			  Date  Subject 
			 27 May Announcement of cancellation of the National Identity Scheme and identity cards 
			 28 June Announcement of Interim Immigration on non-European workers Limit (Black, Asian, Minority Ethnic Media) 
			 28 June Announcement of Interim Immigration Limit 
			 15 July Annual Crime Statistics publication 2009/10 
			 26 July Publication of Policing in the 21st Century 
			 20 October Comprehensive Spending Review announced impact on Home Office budget 
			 28 October Operation of police powers under the Terrorism Act 2000 and subsequent legislation-arrest, outcomes and stops and searches, Great Britain, 2009/10 statistical release 
			 23 November Policy announcement - Immigration Limit on non-European workers 
			 1 December Police Reform and Social Responsibility Bill publication

Departmental Working Conditions

Mike Freer: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what her Department's policy is on  (a) the space provided per employee,  (b) home working and  (c) hot desking; how many employees it has on average per desk; and how much space on average there is per employee.

Nick Herbert: The Department's policy is to work towards a target of eight square metres (of office space) per full-time equivalent. This excludes operational or specialised space such as public caller facilities.
	Home working is one of several flexible working options we support for staff.
	Hot desking is provided as one way of sharing workstations so as to achieve greater efficiency in the use of space.
	As at 1 April 2010, for buildings over 500m(2), the Department had 1.2 workstations and 13.2 square metres per full-time equivalent employee as reported by the property benchmarking service provided through the Government Property Unit. The Department has an extensive estates consolidation programme under way which will reduce the use of space significantly over the next three years and help deliver the eight square metre target.

Detainees: Asylum

Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many and what proportion of asylum cases were removed from the detained fast track procedure in each year since 2005.

Damian Green: All figures are internal management information only and are subject to change. This information has not been quality assured under National Statistics protocols.

Detention Centres

Julian Sturdy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what expenditure her Department incurred in respect of each immigration detention centre in 2009-10; and if she will make a statement.

Damian Green: The operating costs for the immigration removal estate are commercially confidential. Disclosure will prejudice the commercial interests of the UK Border Agency and its operators.

DNA: Databases

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what reason the electronic form of DNA raw data samples is analysed in batches of up to 82 samples.

James Brokenshire: holding answer 27 January 2011
	The electronic form of DNA raw data samples is analysed in batches of 82 samples to take advantage of economies of scale and is common practice in DNA laboratories world-wide. The batch of 82 also includes a number of positive and negative control samples.

DNA: Databases

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many DNA samples deleted from the National DNA Database the Forensic Science Service has stored in raw data form; and how much of this raw data has been analysed by barcode.

James Brokenshire: h olding answer 27 January 2011
	All samples analysed by the Forensic Science Service (FSS) are anonymised, and are identifiable only by barcode. We do not hold information on the number of DNA samples stored in raw data form which have been deleted from the National DNA Database.

DNA: Databases

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which departments and agencies are able to access barcodes relating to DNA raw data samples from the National DNA Database.

James Brokenshire: holding answer 27 January 2011
	The National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA) is the only agency that has access to records of barcodes held on the National DNA Database (NDNAD).

DNA: Databases

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what reason individuals whose DNA record has been deleted from the National DNA Database are not informed that the deletion has taken place; and if she will take steps to ensure such notification happens as a matter of course.

James Brokenshire: Details are removed from the National DNA Database for a number of different reasons and it would not be practical or cost effective to make individual notifications in each case. However, this information is available upon request from the relevant police force.
	We will be announcing further details about our policy on the future retention and destruction of DNA shortly.

Domestic Violence: Immigrants

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether 
	(1)  she plans to extend the pilot project for women with no recourse to public funds beyond March 2011;
	(2)  funding has been allocated to women with no resource to public funds to seek refuge from domestic abuse after the end of the pilot period in March 2011.

Damian Green: The Home Office pilot project for victims of domestic violence with no recourse to public funds commenced in November 2009. In the strategic narrative "Call to End Violence against Women and Girls" on 25 November 2010, the Home Secretary confirmed her intention to ensure that the Home Office continue to fund support for women in the UK on spouse visas who are victims of domestic violence until an effective and sustainable permanent solution is established.
	The Home Office has confirmed that funding will be available for the pilot to continue into financial year 2011-12 and that work on a long term solution continues.

Entry Clearances: Overseas Students

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has conducted of the effect on the economy in  (a) Glasgow,  (b) Scotland and  (c) the UK of the UK Border Agency's proposed restrictions on the conditions applicable to grants of student visas.

Damian Green: The consultation on the student immigration system closes on 31 January. The consultation is seeking the views of all respondents on the effect of the proposals. The results of the consultation will be announced in due course.

Extradition

Charlotte Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment her Department has made of the extent of parity in extradition processes between the UK and  (a) other OECD countries,  (b) countries in the Americas and  (c) South Africa.

Nick Herbert: No such assessment has been made; the Government have commissioned an independent review into the UK's extradition arrangements, to ensure they operate effectively and in the interests of justice. This review is being led by Sir Scott Baker and the panel is due to report back by September 2011.

Extradition

Charlotte Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent representations her Department has received on procedures for the extradition of UK citizens to South Africa.

Nick Herbert: No representations have been received.

Forensic Science Service

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate she has made of the cost per head of the population of providing the Forensic Science Service in  (a) England,  (b) Scotland,  (c) Wales and  (d) Northern Ireland in the latest period for which figures are available.

James Brokenshire: We have not estimated the cost per head of the population of providing forensic science services in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Forensic Science Service

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what account her figures for the losses per month by the Forensic Science Service (FSS) take of the likely savings arising from the closure of FSS laboratories at Chepstow, Chorley and Birmingham.

James Brokenshire: The Forensic Science Service (FSS) operating losses of £2 million a month, which we referred to in our announcement on 14 December 2010, are current losses and therefore do not take into account any savings delivered through planned FSS site closures, nor do they take into account further likely declines in FSS' business.

Forensic Science Service: United Arab Emirates

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what contracts there were between the Forensic Science Service and the United Arab Emirates in each year since 2006; what the start and end dates of each contract were; what the monetary value of each contract was; and what work was undertaken in respect of each contract.

James Brokenshire: holding answer 27 January 2011
	 Following is a table of all services and products delivered by the Forensic Science Service (FSS) to customers based in the United Arab Emirates between January 2006 and December 2010. These contracts do not allow the FSS to divulge exact customer details (ie which of the Emirates) or the value of the contract.
	
		
			  Start  End  Description of services 
			 January 2006 March 2009 Supply of consultancy and training to improve forensic practices towards achieving internationally recognised quality standards 
			   Supply of FSS proprietary DNA Database software and associated services 
			 December 2006 December 2010 Supply of FSS proprietary DNA Database software and associated services 
			 March 2007 October 2009 Supply of FSS proprietary mobile phone examination equipment and associated services 
			 February 2008 March 2009 Supply of forensic examination and evidence collection kits via Scenesafe (a business division of the FSS) 
			 September 2009 March 2010 Supply of strategic forensic consultancy 
			 October 2010 October 2010 Supply of consultancy towards achieving internationally recognised quality standards 
			 October 2010 October 2010 Supply of FSS DNA expert software plus associated services 
			 October 2010 November 2010 Supply of crime scene associated training 
			 November 2010 In progress Supply of consultancy and training for the delivery of DNA profiling capacity 
			   Supply of FSS proprietary DNA Database software and associated services 
			   Supply of FSS DNA expert software plus associated services

Human Trafficking

Jeremy Lefroy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will meet trustees and officers of the Dalit Freedom Network UK prior to finalising her policy on human trafficking; and what recent meetings she has had with other non-governmental organisations engaged in anti-trafficking work.

Damian Green: The voluntary sector plays a key role in the provision of support to victims of human trafficking. We are strongly supportive of this role and will continue to work in partnership with voluntary organisations to reduce the incidence of human trafficking.
	Home Office officials are in the process of contacting non-governmental organisations to discuss development of the forthcoming strategy.

Identity and Passport Service: Northern Ireland

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) full-time and  (b) part-time staff at each grade were employed by the Identity and Passport Service in Northern Ireland in each year since its formation.

Damian Green: The available information is given in the following table.
	Employee numbers are for the last four years only. Information prior to 2007 can be provided only by incurring disproportionate costs.
	
		
			  Data extracted from Snowdrop on 26 January 2011 
			  Count of name   
			  Grade  Part-time? (Yes/No)  Total 
			  1 January 2007   
			 EO No 29 
			  Yes 3 
			 EO total - 32 
			
			 HEO No 9 
			 HEO total - 9 
			
			 PO1 No 9 
			  Yes 2 
			 PO1 total - 11 
			
			 PO2 No 11 
			  Yes 3 
			 PO2 total - 14 
			
			 PO3 No 78 
			  Yes 10 
			 PO3 total - 88 
			
			 SEO No 4 
			 SEO total - 4 
			 Grand total - 158 
			
			  1 January 2008   
			 EO No 28 
			  Yes 1 
			 EO total - 29 
			
			 HEO No 8 
			 HEO total - 8 
			
			 PO1 No 12 
			  Yes 2 
			 PO1 total - 14 
			
			 PO2 No 11 
			 PO2 total - 11 
			
			 PO3 No 78 
			  Yes 10 
			 PO3 total - 88 
			
			 SEO No 4 
			 SEO total - 4 
			 Grand total - 154 
			
			  1 January 2009   
			 EO No 28 
			  Yes 1 
			 EO total - 29 
			
			 HEO No 8 
			 HEO total - 8 
			
			 PO1 No 17 
			  Yes 2 
			 PO1 total - 19 
			
			 PO2 No 13 
			 PO2 total - 13 
			
			 PO3 No 77 
			  Yes 9 
			 PO3 total - 86 
			
			 SEO No 4 
			 SEO total - 4 
			 Grand total - 159 
			
			  1 January 2010   
			 EO No 27 
			  Yes 1 
			 EO total - 28 
			
			 HEO No 8 
			 HEO total - 8 
			
			 PO1 No 17 
			  Yes 2 
			 PO1 total - 19 
			
			 PO2 No 12 
			 PO2 total - 12 
			
			 PO3 No 71 
			  Yes 8 
			 PO3 total - 79 
			
			 SEO No 4 
			 SEO total - 4 
			 Grand total - 150

Immigrants: Detainees

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what reason there was an increase in the number of persons detained under Immigration Act powers in the third quarter of 2010; what her estimate is of the number of persons who will be detained under Immigration Act powers in each of the next eight quarters; and if she will make a statement.

Damian Green: While there was an increase in the number of persons detained under Immigration Act powers in the third quarter of 2010 it is worth noting that the data are a snapshot. They only show the number detained on the last day of the reporting period, therefore, on any other date during the quarter (or in previous quarters) the number detained could have been higher or lower.
	The increase in the detained population may have been, partially, a result of the opening of Harmondsworth Immigration Removal Centre which provided additional detention space for Immigration Group to progress cases through to removal. There were 360 more adult detainees at Harmondsworth comparing Q2 of 2010 to Q3 (from 250 to 610). The population at Oakington dropped from 395 to 100 but the fall was less than the rise of the detained Harmondsworth population.
	The increase may have also occurred due to a higher than average number of charter flight removal operations during that period in which individuals would have required detention prior to removal.
	There is no specific estimate for the number of persons who will be detained in the next eight quarters. However our aim is to maintain and improve the number of removals over the next two years which will inevitably require detention.

Immigration

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent estimate she has made of the number of people who have been waiting more than six months for a decision on their immigration status; and if she will make a statement.

Damian Green: The total number of people who have been waiting more than six months for a decision on their immigration status is 20,081. This is broken down into 3,980 waiting for an asylum initial decision (this includes 'legacy' cases), and 16,101 waiting for a non-asylum initial decision.
	All figures quoted are internal management information only and are subject to change. This information has not been quality assured under National Statistics protocols.

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she intends to answer the letter sent to her by the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton on 6 December 2010 with regard to Mr T. Tinsley.

Nick Herbert: The Minister for Security and Counter-Terrorism, my noble Friend Baroness Neville-Jones, wrote to the right hon. Member on 20 January 2011.

Members: Correspondence

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she plans to reply to the letter of  (a) 2 November,  (b) 7 December and  (c) 9 December 2010 regarding a constituent, Mr Miah.

Nick Herbert: holding answer 24 January 2011
	I apologise for the delay in replying. The Minister for Security and Counter-Terrorism, my noble Friend Baroness Neville-Jones, replied on 25 January 2011. A copy of the letter will be placed in the House Library.

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she intends to answer the letter sent to the Minister for Immigration by the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton on 11 November 2010, with regard to Ms Sundus Saeed.

Damian Green: I wrote to the right hon. Member on 3 December 2010.

Neighbourhood Policing Fund

Edward Balls: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much her Department has allocated to the Neighbourhood Policing Fund in each year of the comprehensive spending review period.

Nick Herbert: holding answer 25 January 2011
	A transitional Neighbourhood Policing Fund will be in place for the first two years of the comprehensive spending review before being devolved to police and crime commissioners. The amount will be £340 million in 2011-12 and £338 million in 2012-13. This includes amounts to be paid to the Metropolitan Police Authority where conditions of the grant will be revoked in recognition of the role that the Mayor of London and the deputy mayor of policing already play.

Police Community Support Officers

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information her Departments holds on the age profile of police community support officers in each police force.

Nick Herbert: Figures are collected in the following age groups: 25 and under, 26 to 40, 41 to 55 and over 55. The latest available data are provided in the following table which shows the age groups of police community support officers by police force area in England and Wales as at 31 March 2010 (headcount).
	
		
			  Police community support officers (PCSOs) by age group and police force area in England and Wales, as at 31 March 2010 (headcount)( 1) 
			   25 and under  26 to 40  41 to 55  Over 55  Total 
			 Avon and Somerset 94 195 134 20 443 
			 Bedfordshire 43 45 29 2 119 
			 Cambridgeshire 63 86 53 11 213 
			 Cheshire 70 103 61 5 239 
			 Cleveland 43 106 43 3 195 
			 Cumbria 43 46 26 1 116 
			 Derbyshire 48 81 47 6 182 
			 Devon and Cornwall 55 167 132 20 374 
			 Dorset 54 78 31 4 167 
			 Durham 61 73 38 4 176 
			 Dyfed-Powys 31 32 16 4 83 
			 Essex 131 140 154 34 459 
			 Gloucestershire 20 60 66 7 153 
			 Greater Manchester 195 363 254 33 845 
			 Gwent 31 74 37 3 145 
			 Hampshire 122 134 85 10 351 
			 Hertfordshire 73 111 76 8 268 
			 Humberside 55 179 79 9 322 
			 Kent 136 143 87 25 391 
			 Lancashire 145 165 104 20 434 
			 Leicestershire 59 77 78 23 237 
			 Lincolnshire 33 56 48 16 153 
			 London, City of 24 24 5 - 53 
			 Merseyside 167 180 97 27 471 
			 Metropolitan Police 1,678 1,832 1,048 145 4,703 
			 Norfolk 69 114 84 14 281 
			 Northamptonshire 39 72 52 4 167 
			 Northumbria 113 196 117 23 449 
			 North Wales 44 67 44 5 160 
			 North Yorkshire 33 102 56 9 200 
			 Nottinghamshire 93 109 57 15 274 
			 South Wales 88 184 60 8 340 
			 South Yorkshire 70 153 109 5 337 
			 Staffordshire 68 108 60 9 245 
			 Suffolk 43 55 61 16 175 
			 Surrey 76 76 64 16 232 
			 Sussex 71 153 135 24 383 
			 Thames Valley 209 158 132 13 512 
			 Warwickshire 35 63 38 4 140 
			 West Mercia 63 135 71 13 282 
			 West Midlands 241 349 221 15 826 
			 West Yorkshire 236 365 139 36 776 
			 Wiltshire 29 61 32 5 127 
			   
			 Total 5,094 7,070 4,360 674 17,198 
			 (1) All figures are provisional, subject to change and have not been verified by forces.

Police Community Support Officers

Conor Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police community support officers there were in each police authority in each year since 2002.

Nick Herbert: Available data relates to police community support officer strength for each police area in England and Wales, each year from 31 March 2003 to 31 March 2010 and provisional statistics for 30 September 2010. They are provided in the table.
	The first police community support officers started work in September 2002, following legislation which was introduced as part of the Police Reform Act 2002. Therefore, data on police community support officers are not available prior to 31 March 2003.
	
		
			  Police community support officer strength( 1)  (FTE)( 2)  by police force as at 31 March 2003 to 2010 and at 30 September 2010( 3) 
			   As at 31 March:  
			  Police force  2003  2004  2005( 4)  2006( 4)  2007( 4)  2008( 4)  2009( 4)  2010( 4)  30 September 2010( 4,5) 
			 Avon and Somerset 0 45 139 130 302 377 381 430 424 
			 Bedfordshire 0 12 40 41 83 120 122 116 126 
			 Cambridgeshire 6 57 86 101 184 197 195 209 193 
			 Cheshire 2 50 52 75 176 231 234 237 223 
			 Cleveland 37 77 75 100 114 170 198 193 190 
			 Cumbria 0 0 17 17 85 99 107 111 106 
			 Derbyshire 0 0 43 42 181 166 205 181 185 
			 Devon and Cornwall 19 51 74 74 317 354 362 363 348 
			 Dorset 6 8 47 61 122 151 156 164 152 
			 Durham 10 28 69 67 142 162 171 175 170 
			 Essex 10 86 179 192 388 436 446 445 419 
			 Gloucestershire 0 54 72 72 169 162 161 148 141 
			 Greater Manchester 160 173 269 251 763 773 782 842 829 
			 Hampshire 0 0 26 30 296 324 325 347 335 
			 Hertfordshire 14 46 98 139 223 246 256 262 257 
			 Humberside 0 0 20 20 194 318 321 317 316 
			 Kent 0 59 105 97 203 377 390 387 379 
			 Lancashire 77 110 161 184 374 400 437 428 412 
			 Leicestershire 28 41 103 136 216 212 228 233 226 
			 Lincolnshire 29 38 75 78 147 165 153 149 137 
			 London. City of 0 0 14 11 36 46 48 52 48 
			 Merseyside 40 72 170 196 332 407 442 468 450 
			 Metropolitan Police 513 1,463 2,147 2,315 3.694 4.247 4.594 4,645 4,387 
			 Norfolk 12 33 68 65 176 274 277 275 277 
			 Northamptonshire 12 10 37 40 129 159 168 164 168 
			 Northumbria 0 51 126 129 248 254 259 438 429 
			 North Yorkshire 0 52 75 71 147 180 173 198 187 
			 Nottinghamshire 10 56 108 112 217 259 243 268 279 
			 South Yorkshire 14 59 124 121 302 334 328 328 314 
			 Staffordshire 0 7 63 70 203 209 236 237 230 
			 Suffolk 0 15 34 30 123 140 160 173 170 
			 Surrey 21 56 115 126 203 211 206 224 234 
			 Sussex 22 83 228 257 352 372 399 377 367 
			 Thames Valley 0 7 98 130 213 521 517 500 502 
			 Warwickshire 11 25 56 64 127 133 143 138 137 
			 West Mercia 8 57 81 85 217 272 272 279 281 
			 West Midlands 0 39 219 252 644 748 812 811 784 
			 West Yorkshire 70 265 394 462 690 757 761 763 728 
			 Wiltshire 15 23 41 57 121 147 135 126 141 
			 Dyfed-Powys 0 5 25 26 77 73 82 83 84 
			 Gwent 30 45 77 76 105 139 139 143 144 
			 North Wales 0 0 59 58 145 159 159 157 156 
			 South Wales 0 59 107 111 314 327 325 335 310 
			   
			 Total England and Wales 1,176 3,418 6.214 6,769 13,497 15,805 16.507 16.918 16,376 
			 (1) This table contains full-time equivalent figures that have been rounded to the nearest whole number. Because of rounding, there may be an apparent discrepancy between totals and the sums of the constituent items. (2) Full-time equivalent includes those on career breaks or maternity/paternity leave. (3) Police community support officers were introduced in statute in 2002, therefore data are not available prior to 2002-03. (4) Strength figures as at 31 March 2005 onwards include those staff on career breaks or maternity/paternity leave. Therefore these figures are not comparable with those provided for other years in the table. (5) These figures should be treated as provisional and subject to possible revision in future police service strength publications. Finalised figures will appear in the annual bulletin, together with further detail and explanation.

Police: Demonstrations

Hywel Francis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what meetings she has had with  (a) the Metropolitan Police and  (b) the Trades Union Congress (TUC) concerning preparations for the TUC demonstration on 26 March 2011; and if she will make a statement.

Nick Herbert: Ministers routinely meet the Metropolitan police to discuss a range of policing issues including the policing of large-scale events in London. Home Office Ministers have not met with the TUC about preparations for demonstrations.

Police: Freedom of Information

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department by what date the Association of Chief Police Officers will be made subject to the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

Nick Herbert: The Government plans to bring the Association of Chief Police Officers within the scope of the Freedom of Information Act by October 2011.

Police: Manpower

Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment her Department has made of the relationship between  (a) levels of public spending and  (b) police numbers and the incidence of crime.

Nick Herbert: The Government believe that police forces can make savings while protecting the frontline. We do not accept that reducing costs will cause an increase in crime. What matters is how resources are used and how officers are deployed.

Police: Manpower

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers have been employed in each of the last five years in Harrow; and if she will make a statement.

Nick Herbert: Constituency level data are not collected centrally. Available data relates to police officer strength for Harrow Basic Command Unit from 31 March 2005 to 31 March 2010.
	The latest annual Police Service Strength Home Office Statistical Bulletin was published in July 2010 and relates to 2009-10. It can be found at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/policeorg1.html
	Bulletins for this and previous years are deposited in the Library of the House.
	
		
			  Police officer strength, Harrow Basic Command Unit, 31 March 2005 to 31 March 2010( 1) 
			  As at 31 March:  Police officers (full-time equivalents) 
			 2005 347 
			 2006 354 
			 2007 362 
			 2008 377 
			 2009 404 
			 (1) These figures are based on full-time equivalents that have been rounded to the nearest whole number. Figures include those officers on career breaks and maternity/paternity leave.

Police: Pensions

Nadine Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether police pensions will continue to recognise the arduous and hazardous conditions of police work after implementation of the proposed changes.

Nick Herbert: The police pension schemes are included in the scope of the Independent Public Service Pensions Commission, led by Lord Hutton. The commission will make recommendations on how public service pensions can be made sustainable and affordable in the long-term and fair to both the public service workforce and the taxpayer. The Government will consider the commission's findings before proposing any changes to the police pension schemes. Any changes will be subject to the normal consultation processes in line with statutory requirements.

Public Interest Immunity Certificates

Michael Meacher: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many public interest immunity certificates Ministers in her Department have signed since May 2010; and what issues they covered.

Nick Herbert: holding answer 26 January 2011
	 Our records show that the Secretary of State considered six certificates in the relevant period. Certificates related to criminal proceedings, civil proceedings, and the inquests into the London bombings of 7 July 2005. Certificates covered material the disclosure of which would cause real damage or harm to the public interest, including national security. Applications made on national security grounds included those necessary to protect the identity of witnesses from the security and intelligence agencies through screening and anonymity, including applications under the relevant criminal legislation.

Radicalism: Publications

George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent representations she has received on the effects on levels of public protection of the publication and dissemination of radical literature on bomb-making; and if she will make a statement.

Nick Herbert: The Home Department has not received representations from third parties on this subject. My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary regards it as being one of great importance and therefore ensures that all information received on this subject, from whatever source, is factored into decision and policy making on counter terrorism.

Regional Asset Recovery Team

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the cost to the public purse was of the regional asset recovery team in each of the last three years; how much the team has raised in each of the last three years; what plans she has for the future of the team; and if she will make a statement.

James Brokenshire: For the previous three years there have been five multi-agency regional asset recovery teams. Their cost and amounts recovered is as follows:
	
		
			  £ 
			   Annual cost  Value of orders enforced 
			 2007-08 7,245,167 10,736,152 
			 2008-09 6,328,248 10,641,456 
			 2009-10 7,058,889 10,916,391 
			 Total 20,632,304 32,293,999 
		
	
	From 1 April 2010 four additional teams were created; all regions of England and Wales are now covered by RARTs.

Scientific Expertise on the Advisory Council for the Misuse of Drugs

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate she has made of the cost to her Department of including scientific expertise on the Advisory Council for the Misuse of Drugs.

James Brokenshire: This Government are committed to evidence-based policy-making. High quality scientific advice in the complex field of drugs is of the utmost importance. Scientific expertise is therefore integral to the work of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD). The Department does not differentiate costs in relation to members of the ACMD between those who do, or do not, have scientific expertise. Neither the chair nor members of the ACMD are in any way remunerated for their work (travel and subsistence costs are reimbursed in accordance with Home Office guidelines). Specific costs are therefore not available. The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs is sponsored by the Home Office and its total budget is given in annual reports available at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/drugs/acmd/reports-research/

Special Constables

Clive Efford: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans she has for the role of special constables in future arrangements for police training; and if she will make a statement.

Nick Herbert: There are currently a number of national initiatives concerning training and the Special Constabulary. The National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA) has recently launched Initial Learning for Special Constables (IL4SC). This is a national learning curriculum for trainee Special Constables.
	In addition to the continuing support for the National Senior Leadership Programme for Special Constables of Senior Rank, the NPIA is planning to develop a programme for volunteer first line managers, which will help improve the retention of new and existing Special Constables.
	In line with the Government's commitment to increase the number of volunteers, it will continue to support the development of the Special Constabulary in England and Wales.

Special Constables

Clive Efford: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many special constables posts she expects to be created in each police authority area during the Comprehensive Spending Review period.

Nick Herbert: Individual police forces are responsible for determining their own recruitment requirements in order to meet local policing needs. In line with the Government's commitment to increase the number of volunteers, it will continue to support the development of the Special Constabulary in England and Wales.

Terrorism

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps she plans to take to disseminate detailed accounts of the activities of convicted terrorists to the public as part of the Prevent strategy.

Nick Herbert: holding answer 21 December 2010
	The Government's review of "Prevent" is examining effective ways of countering terrorist ideology. The dissemination of any material concerning counter-terrorism investigations must however take account of the legal and operational impact of making such information public.

Theft

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate she has made of the number of incidents of customers leaving without paying for goods or services in each year from 2005 to 2010.

James Brokenshire: It is not possible to estimate the number of such incidents.
	The Home Office are responsible for collecting recorded crime statistics from the police in England and Wales. There are various offence classifications which include incidents where 'customers leaving without paying for goods or services' could be recorded. Crimes will be recorded by the police in the appropriate classification depending on the individual circumstances of the offence. Figures for offences of shoplifting are published in Table 2.04 of the Home Office Statistical Bulletin 'Crime in England and Wales 2009/10':
	http://rds.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs10/hosb1210chap2.xls
	Other examples of this type of incident such as making off without payment for fuel, or leaving a restaurant without paying for the meal would be recorded as fraud offences, as appropriate, and cannot be separately identified from the other frauds recorded by the police.

UK Border Agency: Northern Ireland

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the effect on services provided by the UK Border Agency in Northern Ireland of the proposed reduction in the Agency's staff numbers.

Damian Green: The priority of the agency remains to secure the border and to control migration while we play our part in reducing the public deficit. We are committed to programmes such as e-Borders and the Immigration Case Working system that will help to reduce the threat of terrorism, crime and immigration abuse and replace costly and outmoded paper work, respectively. These programmes will help improve our productivity and efficiency and will mean that we can target our resources on those people likely to cause most harm to the UK. As a result the UK Border Agency will be able to deliver its objectives while reducing the budget by up to 20% in real terms over the next four years.

Vetting

Louise Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether her Department's reviews of the  (a) vetting and barring scheme and  (b) criminal records regime will take account of (i) the findings and recommendations of the Bichard Inquiry and (ii) statutory provisions safeguarding children and vulnerable people.

Lynne Featherstone: The Government have commissioned a review of the Vetting and Barring Scheme and the criminal records regime which we expect to report in the next few weeks. We shall consider carefully and respond to the outcomes and recommendations of the review.
	Like Lord Bichard, the Government have made the safeguarding of children and vulnerable adults the key priority for the reviews, but ensuring that this is achieved in a way which is proportionate and which removes unnecessary barriers to volunteering or working with these groups.

Western Sahara: Politics and Government

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent assessment she has made of the threat to UK security from Al-Qaeda in the Maghreb.

Nick Herbert: I receive regular assessments on the terrorist threat to the UK and our interests overseas from the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre.
	The main threat posed by Al-Qaeda in the Maghreb to UK nationals is kidnap in North and West Africa. A British national was kidnapped and murdered by Al-Qaeda in the Maghreb in May 2009.